The Ministry of Public Health on Saturday reported “three” more positive cases of the new coronavirus – or COVID-19 -- in the western province of Herat.

This brings the total reported cases of to "four" in Afghanistan, according to Public Health Minister Ferozuddin Feroz who addressed a press conference in Kabul on Saturday.

In the last 24 hours, the ministry reportedly tested samples of 36 suspected cases, three of which came back positive, and all from Herat, the ministry said in a statement.

The four patients have been taken to an “isolation ward” and are being treated, the ministry said.

Feroz said there is a need for people to cooperate, and the media as well, to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. 

He says a 200-bed hospital in Kabul, a hospital in Herat and a hospital in Nimroz province have been established for potential coronavirus patients. He said more hospitals will be established in other provinces if needed. 

According to him, 30,000 kits have been provided by the UAE for the coronavirus and 20,000 more will arrive in the near future.

This comes as Herat's refugees and repatriation directorate said on Tuesday that the number of Afghan refugees repatriated from Iran--a coronavirus hotspot--has doubled over the last two weeks,  with "hundreds of thousands of refugees" crossing the border at Islam Qala every day.

According to local officials,  Afghans are leaving Iran because of the spread of the coronavirus.