Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Iraq announced first cases coming from Iran Saudi embassy in Kuwait continues to follow up on condition of Saudi citizen DUBAI: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Iraq reported their first cases of the China coronavirus on Monday as Gulf countries moved to stop an outbreak in Iran from spreading. The infections spurred some GCC members to halt travel links with Iran and warn citizens not to travel to the country where authorities have been accused of covering up the scale of the outbreak. Kuwait said it had diagnosed three cases: a 53-year-old Kuwaiti man, a 61-year-old Saudi citizen, and a 21-year-old stateless Arab. The three cases were among 700 people evacuated from the Iranian city of Mashhad last week, state news agency KUNA reported. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health said it was coordinating with Kuwaiti health authorities to treat the Saudi national, adding that the patient would remain in Kuwait until they were cured. Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Kuwait said the condition of the Saudi citizen is stable and he is in no danger. The statement also called on citizens to follow the instructions issued by the Kuwaiti health ministry and contact the embassy in the event of an emergency. Bahrain said two people had the virus diagnosed after arriving from Iran and travelling through Dubai. The first patient "was transferred to the Ebrahim Khalil Kanoo Medical Centre for immediate testing, treatment and isolation under the supervision of a specialised medical team," Bahrain News Agency said. The school bus driver, had worked on Sunday, dropping off children at schools, that were later closed down. The second patient, a Bahraini woman was examined as she arrived at Bahrain International Airport having traveled through Dubai. Her husband and her sister in law, who were traveling with her, tested negative for the virus but were also placed in qurantine. Bahrain also suspended flights from Dubai International Airport and Sharjah International Airport for 48 hours, Bahrain News Agency said early Tuesday. Oman’s health ministry said its first two cases are Omani women who had visited Iran. Oman TV said the women were in a stable condition, it added. Iraq, which on Monday also reported its first case of the virus, has shut its Safwan border crossing with Kuwait to travelers and trade at Kuwait"s request, the local mayor said on Monday. The outbreak in Iran forced the government there to dismiss one lawmaker"s claim the toll could be as high as 50. The cases have prompted travel bans from nearby countries trying to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Last week, Kuwait banned entry of all ships from the Islamic republic and suspended flights to and from the country. Kuwait also banned non-citizens coming from Iran from entering the Gulf state and operated chartered flights to bring back hundreds of Kuwaiti Shiite pilgrims. Around a third of Kuwait"s 1.4 million citizens are Shiites, who travel regularly to Iran to visit religious shrines. Kuwait also hosts roughly 50,000 Iranian workers. Over half of Bahrain"s population are Shiites, who also travel frequently to Iran. The UAE has already announced 13 cases of the coronavirus, all of them foreigners. The latest were a 70-year-old Iranian man, whose condition is unstable, and his 64-year-old wife. On Monday, Abu Dhabi called on all UAE citizens "to not travel to Iran and Thailand at present and up until further notice" as part of its efforts to monitor and contain the disease. UAE airlines have suspended most flights to China - where the virus first emerged in December - except to the capital Beijing, but have not yet taken any measures to restrict travel to and from Iran. Around half a million Iranians live and work in the UAE. Saudi Arabia remains free of the virus, but has suspended flights to China. Qatar Airways said on Monday that people arriving from Iran and South Korea would be asked to stay in home isolation or a quarantine facility for 14 days.