Qatar confirms first coronavirus case
Doha: Qatar has confirmed its first case of coronavirus, state media reported Saturday, after a 36-year-old Qatari woman who was evacuated to Doha from Iran tested positive.
Qatar on Thursday repatriated a number of its citizens from Iran -- which is battling the worst outbreak outside China -- and confined them to a 14-day period of quarantine, the government said.
The health ministry said the infected patient had been admitted to hospital.
"This had been expected because of the virus's spread across the region and other countries, alongside the exponential increase in the number of cases," the health ministry said according to the Qatar News Agency.
Iran on Saturday reported nine new deaths from the novel coronavirus and 205 fresh cases in the past 24 hours, bringing its overall toll to 43 dead and 593 infected.
Gulf countries have announced a raft of measures to cut links with Iran to prevent the coronavirus spreading, after infections emerged among people returning from pilgrimages to the Islamic republic.
Saudi Arabia on Friday barred citizens from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Qatar, from entering two of Islam's holiest cities amid fears over coronavirus.
The Gulf tally stands at 45 cases of coronavirus in Kuwait, 38 in Bahrain, six in Oman and two more in the United Arab Emirates for a total of 21.
On Saturday the UAE also announced it was suspending nursery school classes, and limiting activities at other schools.
Authorities said that two planes will also be sent to Iran to collect Emiratis and other Gulf citizens trapped there after air routes were closed.
Cyclists taking part in the UAE Tour are awaiting the results of coronavirus tests from their hotel lockdown, after the event was abandoned Thursday when two staff from an Italian team tested positive.
The race organisers said in a tweet Saturday that 167 of those quarantined had received negative results on coronavirus tests, but it did not say whether they were cyclists or staff members, nor how many others were awaiting results.
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Blue corner notice issued against Prajwal Revanna, says Karnataka HM G Parameshwara
Bengaluru, May 5: Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara on Sunday said a Blue Corner notice has been issued and Interpol's help is being taken to bring NDA's Hassan Lok Sabha candidate Prajwal Revanna, who is facing sexual harassment cases, back to India.
A Blue Corner Notice is issued by the international police cooperation body to collect additional information from its member countries about a person's identity, location or activities in relation to a crime.
The minister said the Special Investigation Team formed to probe the sex scandal will decide on how to bring Prajwal back.
"Already Blue Corner notice has been issued. The Interpol will inform all the countries and locate him," Parameshwara told reporters here.
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Appreciating the work of SIT, formed to probe the case, he said the team is doing its job and has acted as per law on the complaints it has received.
He recalled it has arrested the 'accused,' apparently referring to Prajwal's father HD Revanna, who was apprehended in an abduction case.
Prajwal's father Revanna, a JD(S) MLA, is also facing molestation and kidnapping charges, and has been arrested by the SIT on Saturday.
He was arrested by the sleuths of SIT on Saturday in the kidnapping case linked to sexual abuse allegations against his son Prajwal. He was picked up soon after a court here rejected his anticipatory bail plea.
Explicit video clips allegedly involving the 33-year-old Prajwal, grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, had started making the rounds in Hassan in recent days, following which the state government constituted the SIT to probe the sexual abuse allegations against the MP.
