#Dubai, #AbuDhabi to Shut Schools as Virus Spreads in Middle East - Bloomberg

Dubai, Abu Dhabi to Shut Schools as Virus Spreads in Middle East - Bloomberg:

The United Arab Emirates, the Middle East’s business hub, will shut schools for four weeks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

All public and private schools and higher education institutions will be closed from March 8. A pilot program for distance education will be implemented during the last weeks of the period.

• Education ministry will sterilize school, university facilities and buses 
• Ministry on March 2 started pilot stage of distance learning initiative for all government schools 
• NOTE: Kuwait, Bahrain have already shut schools  

Foreigners make up about 85% of the U.A.E.’s population, and Dubai and Abu Dhabi are home to major global financial institutions. The country has already restricted travel to China, Iran and Saudi Arabia as it races to prevent the spread of the outbreak.