No coronavirus cases in Abu Dhabi schools, regulator says

The emirate's Department of Education advises parents to seek medical help if children show symptoms of infection

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority has shared a comic book guide to the coronavirus with pupils. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Abu Dhabi’s education authority has reassured parents that no cases of the coronavirus have been reported in the capital.

In response to concerns raised by families regarding spread of the virus, the emirate's Department of Education and Knowledge sent out a text on Saturday to address the issue.

“Dear parents, in an effort to address your concerns with regards to the Novel Corona virus (nCoV) in the UAE, we would like to confirm that there have been no cases reported in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi,” the text read.

The education regulator also advised parents to keep children at home and seek medical help if they show warning signs of the illness.

“As a precautionary measure, we advise you to consult a doctor if your child exhibits any symptoms of fever, flu or respiratory illness and keep your child at home until he/she is well.”

The text included a direct link to the Abu Dhabi Department of Health's pamphlet for additional information about the coronavirus.

On Wednesday, the UAE Ministry of Health recorded its first case of the infection, which originated in the Wuhan province in China.

A Chinese family on holiday in the Emirates were the first people in the Middle East to be given a positive coronavirus diagnoses. They remain in a stable condition.

Since then, schools have stepped up cleaning procedures to keep their campuses virus-free and have sent home information to parents with recommendations on how to keep their children safe.

Earlier this week, the World Health Organisation declared the coronavirus an international emergency as the death toll passed 200.

At least 259 people have died as a result of the infection so far, all of them in China. More than 11,500 people are infected there and additional cases have been detected in 22 other countries.