DUBAI: The global community is on a slow return to normalcy, disrupted for weeks by the coronavirus pandemic, with countries continuing to ease lockdown restrictions earlier imposed to safeguard public health.
While some countries managed to tame the infection curve, with minimal cases being reported, Latin American states are setting records for cases and death with the region now the newest coronavirus hot spot.
May 23, 2020, Saturday (All times in GMT)
15:07 – UK coronavirus death toll rises by 282 to 36,675.
12:20 – The Syrian government has announced the largest single day jump of recorded cases in the country, where so far testing has been limited.
11:35 – Iran has recorded 59 new coronavirus deaths and 1,869 new cases.
10:44 – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resisted calls on Saturday from opposition parties to sack adviser Dominic Cummings after he traveled 400 kilometers while his wife showed COVID-19 symptoms so that their son could be looked after by his family. READ MORE
10:24 – New cases of the coronavirus in India topped 6,000 for a second consecutive day, marking another record jump for the South Asian country in a 24-hour period. READ THE STORY
A security personnel stands in an area with marked social distancing reminders at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad on May 23, 2020. (AFP)
10:18 – Bahrain has confirmed 360 new COVID-19 cases.
09:43 – Oman has registered 463 new coronavirus cases, raising total infections to 7,257.
09:15 – Tokyo has confirmed two new coronavirus cases, the lowest since a state of emergency was declared.
09:10 – Indonesia has recorded 949 new coronavirus cases, taking its tally of infections to 21,745.
09:06 – Anti-viral drug remdesivir cuts recovery times in coronavirus patients, according to the full results of a trial published Friday night. READ THE STORY
08:54 – Malaysia has reported 48 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 7,185. The health ministry also said no new deaths were recorded, with the number of fatalities remaining at 115.
08:53 – Four EU countries dubbing themselves the “frugal four” presented their own proposal Saturday for post-coronavirus economic recovery, restating their rejection of any jointly-issued debt instruments.
07:41 – Iran moved to open businesses, religious and cultural sites as it eases restrictions imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
07:39 – Russia has reported 9,434 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours.
07:24 – Singapore’s health ministry said it had confirmed 642 more coronavirus cases, taking its tally of infections to 31,068.
A man jogs past a four-legged robot called Spot, which broadcasts a message reminding people to observe safe distancing, during its trial at the Bishan-Ang Moh Kio Park in Singapore on May 8, 2020. (AFP)
07:15 – Afghanistan has reported 11 new coronavirus deaths and 784 new cases, raising total infections to 9,998.
05:24 – President Donald Trump has labeled churches and other houses of worship as “essential” and called on governors nationwide to let them reopen this weekend even though some areas remain under coronavirus lockdown.
04:54 – Thailand reported three new coronavirus cases and no new deaths, bringing the country’s total to 3,040 confirmed cases and 56 fatalities since the outbreak started in January.
04:44 – The UN disarmament chief said the COVID-19 pandemic was moving the world toward increased technological innovation and online collaboration, but “cybercrime was also on the rise, with a 600 percent increase in malicious emails during the current crisis.”
04:22 – The mayor of Los Angeles dismissed a Trump administration warning that the city’s continued lockdown due to coronavirus could be illegal, saying he would not be “pushed by politics.”
04:18 – The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 638 to 177,850, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed.
03:36 – Australia’s most populous state said it recorded just three new cases of the coronavirus the previous day and urged younger people to get tested as it prepares to further loosen restrictions on pubs and restaurants.
03:18 – The UAE has recorded 994 new cases of coronavirus, bringing total on infections in the country to 27,892, according to a statement by the Ministry of Health.
02:16 – A surging coronavirus is ravaging parts of Latin America, setting records for cases and deaths in some countries in the world’s most unequal region even as the pandemic’s march slows in much of Europe, Asia and the United States.
