ABU DHABI — A total of 47 people from five different families tested positive for COVID-19 after they attended a wedding and a funeral, Dr. Omar Al-Hammadi, official spokesman for the UAE Government, said on Monday.

The affected individuals had not adhered to social distancing measures and other precautions, the spokesman said.

The tragedy came to light even as the United Arab Emirates detected 264 new cases of the novel coronavirus, which brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 59,177.

The health ministry has been recording a significant amount of cases of people from the same family who had infected each other during gatherings and celebrations, Al-Hammadi said.

He urged the public to refrain from holding large gatherings and to follow precautionary measures at all times.

One person died of the virus, raising the coronavirus death toll in the UAE to 345, according to the UAE government.

The recoveries in the country climbed to 52,510 after 328 people recovered.

With Eid Al-Adha coming up, Abdul Rahman Bin Mohammad Bin Nasser Al-Owais, minister of health and prevention, urged the public to cooperate with health authorities and comply with all precautionary measures, particularly social distancing protocols, to ensure the safety and protection of all citizens and residents. — Agencies