Doha, Mar 12 (IANS): The number of coronavirus cases in Qatar jumped to 238 in a span of one day, bringing the overall infections to 262, according to the country's Ministry of Public Health.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry announced that the new cases were those who were subject to quarantine since the discovery of the first three cases, The Peninsula Qatar newspaper said in a report.

This development comes after Qatar announced three coronavirus patients who had "shared accommodation".

The major one-day spike was related to those three expatriate workers.

In Wednesday's statement, the Ministry also said that the number of people infected with the virus was likely to increase among contacts of previously announced patients, who are subject to quarantine.

It said "community members to be reassured that all declared cases enjoy a very good health condition and receive medical care at the Center for Transitional Diseases", The Peninsula Qatar reported.

The Ministry individuals to follow preventive measures to ensure their safety and that of their community.

So far, Qatar has not reported any deaths due to the virus but has closed educational institutions, cancelled public events, including the MotoGP, and banned travellers from 14 countries as precautionary measures against the outbreak.