Qatar reports first case of coronavirus

Qatar has become the latest Middle Eastern country to report its first case of coronavirus.

The patient, a 36-year-old man, returned from Iran, which has the highest number of coronavirus-related deaths outside China, reports Aljazeera.

The news on Saturday comes amid growing concerns in the Gulf, with Saudi Arabia having recently halted travel to holy sites such as Mecca and Medina.

Meanwhile, in Asia Pacific, South Korea urged citizens to stay indoors as it warned of a "critical moment" in its battle against the coronavirus after recording the biggest daily jump in infections, with 813 new cases taking the tally to 3,150 with 17 new deaths.

Seoul is grappling with the largest outbreak of the virus outside China, the epicentre of the deadly disease. The National Health Commission reported on Saturday at least 47 new deaths, bringing to 2,835 the number of fatalities nationwide among 79,251 confirmed cases.