DUBAI: Social distancing will be the new normal as countries reopen their economies after being shuttered for weeks by the coronavirus epidemic.
Half of states in the US, worst-hit by the virus with over one million confirmed cases, are easing their lockdown restrictions as the pandemic forces hordes of Americans to seek jobless claims.
The scenario similarly plays from Asia to the Middle East, where countries are slowly loosening up regulations on businesses and travel movements although with safety precautions still in place to avoid a second wave of infections.
Friday, May 1, 2020 (All times in GMT)
17:57 - Ireland on Friday announced the first small steps to easing restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus and laid out a roadmap for a gradual re-opening of the economy over the coming months if the virus can be kept under control.
The economy will reopen in five stages between May 18 and Aug. 10, with each stage dependent on the number of COVID-19 infections remaining under control, acting Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said.
17:45 - The number of people who have died from coronavirus infection in France rose by 218 to 24,594 on Friday, while hospitalizations for the disease and people in ICU units continued to decline, the public health chief said on Friday.
16:39 - Morocco records 146 cases of coronavirus infections, brings it to a total of 4,569.
16:38 - Turkey's coronavirus death toll rises to 3,258, new cases 2,188.
16:14 - UK records 739 coronavirus deaths in one day.
15:58 - Egypt announced 358 new cases of coronavirus and 14 deaths from the disease.
15:32 - Algeria announced 148 new cases of coronavirus and three deaths from the disease on Friday.
14:25 - Saudi Arabia says that 400,000 private sector employees are supported with SAR 1.2 bln ($319 mln).
14:20 - Bahrain records 129 new cases of coronavirus infections in the country.
14:05 - The COVID-19 death toll in English hospitals has risen by 352 from the day before to 20,483, including 18 people who did not have any known underlying health conditions, health officials said on Friday.
14:00 - Saudi Arabia announced seven new deaths from the COVID-19 virus and 1,344 new cases of the disease on Friday.
12:54 – A manufacturer of a possible COVID-19 vaccine being developed by British scientists said it may know by the end of May if it can make a million doses a month with a view to building stocks for commercial supply when the vaccine is approved. READ THE STORY
11:55 – Burials in Jakarta remained close to record highs in April, official data showed, indicating there may have been many more deaths from COVID-19 in the city than have been officially recorded. READ THE STORY
11:27 – Kuwait said there were 353 new coronavirus cases overnight, raising the country’s caseload to 4,377.
11:04 – Qatar reported 687 new coronavirus cases, bringing total to 14,096.
10:24 – India ran the first train service for thousands of migrant workers desperate to return home since it imposed a nationwide lockdown to control the spread of the coronavirus. READ THE STORY
10:15 – Lebanon said there were four coronavirus cases overnight, raising its caseload to 729.
10:14 – Morocco has reported one coronavirus-related death, 106 new cases and 71 recoveries.
09:48 – Bangladesh has reopened hundreds of its garment factories this week after nearly one month of closures to fight the coronavirus pandemic in a move critics say risks igniting a sharp increase in infections among workers. READ THE STORY
Migrant workers arrive at the Mawa Ferry Ghat as they are head to Dhaka after the Bangladeshi government eased restriction on garment factories and some other sectors on April 30, 2020. (Reuters)
09:39 – Iran confirmed 63 new coronavirus deaths, number of fatalities now at 6,091. The country also reported 1,006 new cases overnight, bringing the total to 95,646.
09:35 – The UAE has reported 557 new coronavirus cases, six deaths and 114 recoveries.
09:23 – Spain’s coronavirus death toll rose to 24,824 on Friday as 281 more people died from causes related to the disease overnight, the health ministry said.
09:00 – Oman said it had 99 new cases; total cases now at 2,447.
08:40 – Malaysia reported 69 new coronavirus cases; 6,071 in total with one new death.
08:16 – The Philippines confirmed 284 new coronavirus infections and 11 more deaths, bringing its total number of cases to 8,772 and fatalities to 579.
07:58 – Russia recorded 96 coronavirus deaths, 7,933 cases.
Above, a huge lettering reading “Thanks to Doctors” formed by turned on lights in rooms of Kosmos hotel in Moscow on April 29, 2020. (AFP)
07:39 – Israel reported 58 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country’s caseload to 16,004.
07:34 – The speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly had tested positive for COVID-19, after hosting an iftar dinner to celebrate Ramadan, and meeting Prime Minister Imran Khan and other high officials earlier in the week. READ THE STORY
04:00 – Afghanistan, beset by a poor healthcare system, malnutrition, war and other vulnerabilities, likely is facing a “health disaster” from the coronavirus, a watchdog report to the US Congress warned.
03:29 – Malaysia will allow the majority of businesses to resume operations from May 4, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said, easing restrictions imposed to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.
02:48 – President Donald Trump speculated that China could have unleashed the coronavirus on the world due to some kind of horrible “mistake,” and his intelligence agencies said they are still examining a notion put forward by the president and aides that the pandemic may have resulted from an accident at a Chinese lab.
02:29 – The White House let its 2-week-old economic reopening guidelines expire as half of all US states forged ahead with their own strategies for easing restrictions on restaurants, retail and other businesses shuttered by the coronavirus crisis. READ THE STORY
01:28 – China reported 12 new coronavirus cases for April 30, up from four a day earlier, data from the country’s health authority showed.
Thursday, April 30, 2020 (All times in GMT)
16:21 – Health authorities in Oman have reported 74 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of infected patients to 2,348.
16:08 – Jordan’s healthy ministry said no new coronavirus cases were registered inside the Kingdom for the third consecutive day, but two infections were recorded for non-Jordanian drivers at the border.
15:51 – The UAE confirmed 552 more cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 12,481. The country’s healthy ministry likewise the death of seven patients due to complications arising from coronavirus; the death toll now stands at 105.
13:10 – A second Turkish military plane took off from an air base near Ankara carrying more medical aid to the United States which has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
