Two more foreigners have died of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers) in Jeddah, a report said quoting the Saudi Health Ministry.

The ministry said five more people were infected with Mers in the city, including two foreign medics aged 54, the Arab News report said.

The latest deaths of a 64-year-old and a 44-year-old, whose nationalities were undisclosed, bring to 75 the total number of deaths due to Mers in Saudi Arabia, from a total of 231 infections, said the report.

Meanwhile, officials in the Philippines said the government was stepping up its defense against the deadly virus, with the large numbers of Filipino workers in the Middle East seen as potential carriers.

A male Filipino nurse who had tested positive for the Mers virus in the UAE returned to the Philippines on Tuesday, according to the health department.

The man was later tracked down and quarantined, along with relatives who picked him up at Manila airport.

Meanwhile, the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (Haad) has announced 12 new cases for coronavirus (Mers-CoV). The patients were found to be positive for Mers-CoV during routine screenings for contacts, said a report in Emirates 24/7.

The new positive Mers Coronavirus victims are  in hospital isolation and are expected to clear the virus within 10-14 days with no treatment, it said.