MANAMA — Nine people who were infected with the coronavirus have been cured, raising the total number of cured patients to 44, Bahraini Health Ministry said on Friday.

The recovered patients — including one male and six female Bahrainis, one female from Egypt, and another from Thailand — have been discharged from the isolation center after receiving necessary medical treatment, the ministry said in a statement carried by the state’s official news agency.

The ministry affirmed that it would keep monitoring the already treated patients in line with relevant medical measures just to ensure the safety of everyone in the country, according to the statement.

The ministry announced on Wednesday that five more patients had recovered from the novel coronavirus thanks to medical care provided by specialized medics.

Meanwhile, Bahrain reported four new cases of the coronavirus on Friday, raising the total number of cases in the country to 166.

In a related report, the Sultanate of Oman said it would be suspending tourist visas for travelers from all countries in an effort to combat the spread of the deadly coronavirus, the Oman News Agency (ONA) reported on Thursday.

Oman has confirmed 19 cases of the virus in the country. The decision to halt tourist visas came after a supreme committee meeting with the Minister of Interior Hamoud Bin Faisal Al-Busaidi, according to ONA.

The committee was formed to deal with the outbreak in the country under the orders of Oman’s Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq Al-Said.

All sports activities and activities outside of the classroom will also be suspended. Cruise ships will also be banned from docking in Oman’s ports, ONA reported.

Restaurants, coffee shops, and lounges will be prohibited from selling shisha, the report said.

The committee advised citizens and residents to avoid traveling abroad, and to take precautionary measures during large group gatherings. — SG