MANAMA — Bahrain has closed all public and private schools and nurseries for two weeks in a bid to contain the deadly coronavirus with 26 cases now confirmed in the kingdom.

Bahrain’s Ministry of Education has also announced that all public and private schools, including kindergartens, will be closed for two weeks starting from Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020.

The ministry added that the decision was taken as part of the precautionary measures taken to contain the spread of the deadly virus.

In a major announcement, the Ministry of Health said that it would arrange medical exams for all citizens and residents who have visited Iran, during February, the official Bahrain News Agency reported on Wednesday.

On Monday, the country announced a travel ban on Iran, the news agency reported.

Manama has also suspended flights to airports including Dubai and Sharjah in the UAE, which was the first country in the Arabian Gulf to declare cases of coronavirus. None of the cases in the UAE have been fatal, and two have recovered. — Agencies