Jordan said on Sunday it had lifted all restrictions on economic activity in the latest easing of coronavirus lockdown rules to help jump-start the cash-strapped economy.
Jordan has in the last two weeks been lifting restrictions to allow businesses back to work, but with lower levels of staff and strict social distancing and hygiene guidelines.
Lebanon is also entering its second week of relaxed measures, with restaurants allowed to resume receiving customers until 9 p.m., provided they do not offer hookah services, which spread COVID-19. Barbers will be allowed to reopen salons for pre-booked appointments.
Monday, May 4 (GMT time):
17:30 - The World Health Organization said on Monday that comments by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo citing "evidence" that the new coronavirus had emerged from a Chinese laboratory were "speculative", and called for a science-based inquiry.
16:30 - Turkey's president Recep Erdogan says he is lifting intercity travel restrictions as of Monday evening, except for Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir and that shopping malls, barber shops, clothing stores will open May 11 as long as they abide by rules.
16:15 - England's deputy chief medical officer says majority of patients who had COVID19 have gained antibodies, according to testing data - says no clear answer whether antibodies guarantee immunity.
15:57 - Yemen has reported two new coronavirus infections in Hadhramout, the national emergency coronavirus committee said on Monday, raising the number of diagnosed infections in the war-town country to 12 with two deaths.
The province of Hadhramout was where Yemen recorded its first case of COVID-19 on April 10. The United Nations says it fears the coronavirus could be spreading undetected among an acutely malnourished population with inadequate testing capabilities.
13:10 - EU to mobilise €1 billion for global response to coronavirus, the European Commission chief said.
12:47 - Egypt’s parliament has extended the emergency state for another three months to curb the spread of COVID-19.
12:42 - Saudi Health Ministry has reported 1,645 new coronavirus cases, 342 recoveries and seven fatalities, increasing total numbers to 28,656 infected people, 4,476 recovered patients and 191 deaths.
11:40 - Kuwait has confirms 295 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 5,278 infected people.
11:15 - Qatar has reported 640 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 16,191 infected people.
10:49 - Lebanon has confirmed that three people returned to the country infected with coronavirus, bringing the total to 740 cases.
09:58 - Iran’s confirmed coronavirus cases increased to 98,647 while fatalities reached 6,277.
09:12 - Spain’s reported coronavirus cases reached 218,011 while fatalities increased to 25,428.
09:01 - Indonesia reported on Monday 395 new coronavirus infections, taking the total in the Southeast Asian country to 11,587, said health ministry official Achmad Yurianto.
Yurianto reported 19 new coronavirus-related deaths, taking the total to 864, while 1,954 have recovered.
More than 86,000 people have been tested, he said.
09:00 - Malaysian health authorities on Monday reported 55 new coronavirus cases, raising the total to 6,353 cases as Malaysians began heading out under relaxed curbs on movement and businesses.
There were no new fatalities reported, leaving total deaths at 105.
08:26 - Omani authorities on Monday sealed off Al-Wadi Al-Kabir industrial area as part of efforts to combat the novel coronavirus.
08:16 - The Philippines’ health ministry on Monday reported 16 new coronavirus deaths and 262 additional confirmed cases.
The health ministry said total confirmed cases have risen to 9,485 while 623 people have died. But 101 more patients have recovered, bringing total recoveries to 1,315.
08:10 - Kuwait has announced 171 new coronavirus recoveries, bringing the total to 1,947 recovered patients.
08:06 - Sudan has reported 86 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 678 infected people.
04:48 - Oman has confirmed 69 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 2,637 infected people.
04:48 - China reported three new coronavirus cases, all brought from overseas, and no additional deaths. A total of 481 people remain in the hospital because of the virus, with about 1,000 under monitoring and isolation after showing symptoms or testing positive without symptoms.
04:45 - New Zealand reported no new coronavirus cases Monday, marking a significant moment that indicated the country’s bold strategy of trying to eliminate the virus was working.
04:43 - The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 679 to 163,175, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Monday.
