UAE authorities discuss post-COVID-19 strategy

Upon the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the UAE Government began a remote meeting on Sunday, entitled, “Preparations for the post-coronavirus, COVID-19, period.”

The meeting, which will continue until Tuesday, is being attended by ministers, secretaries-general of executive councils, officials from over 100 federal Government and local authorities, and international experts.

During the last meeting of the UAE Cabinet, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum gave instructions to develop a national strategy for the post-COVID-19 era.

Sheikh Mohammed called on the ministers, undersecretaries, members of the executive councils and experts to collaborate to produce the strategy and establish short-term and long-term policies to reactivate the economic activities in the country.

Sheikh Mohammed stressed on the importance of inviting local, regional and international experts to participate in brainstorming sessions and workshops to analyse the situation and produce applicable solutions.

He ordered that an emergency plan be developed to increase the productivity and competitiveness of the medical industries sector as part of preparation for the post-COVID-19 era in the country.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention conducted additional 29,000 Covid-19 tests and revealed 781 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases to 18,198.

The new cases identified are undergoing treatment.

The Ministry also announced on Sunday that the total number of recovered cases of Coronavirus has reached 4,804 with full recovery of 509 more patients.

Also, the Ministry also announced that 13 people of different nationalities who tested positive for COVID-19 died due to complications.

This brings the total death toll to 198.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention expressed sincere condolences to the families of the deceased.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued new stay-at-home advice on Sunday and warned he would proceed cautiously on lifting a nationwide coronavirus lockdown as the death toll in Britain, already the highest in Europe, continues to mount.

In a televised address to the nation Johnson extended confinement orders imposed in late March, although garden centres are to reopen.

But in a sign of a gradual shift towards getting the country moving again, he tweeted new public advice for people to “stay alert,” to replace the current slogan to “stay home, save lives”.

The United States recorded 1,568 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 78,746, according to the latest real-time tally reported by Johns Hopkins University at 8:30 pm on Saturday.

The country − hardest hit by the pandemic in terms of the number of fatalities − has now confirmed a total of 1,309,164 cases, the Baltimore-based school reported.

The number of people confirmed to have the coronavirus in Russia has exceeded 200,000, data posted on an official website set up by health authorities showed on Sunday.

The total number of cases increased to 209,688 after another 11,012 tests came back positive in the last 24 hours, it showed.

One of the world’s largest train networks will “gradually” restart operations from Tuesday as India eases its coronavirus lockdown, as the number of cases past 60,000 with more than 2,000 deaths.

Some 30 train journeys − 15 pairs of return trips − will run from the capital New Delhi to other cities including Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai, Indian Railways said late on Sunday.

“Indian Railways plans to gradually restart passenger train operations from 12th May, 2020... Thereafter, Indian Railways shall start more special services on new routes,” the railways ministry added in a statement.

China reported 14 new cases Sunday, its first double-digit rise in 10 days. Eleven of 12 domestic infections were in the northeastern province of Jilin, which prompted authorities to raise the threat level in one of its counties, Shulan, to high risk, just days after downgrading all regions to low risk.

Agencies