Pakistan shuts shops and markets to check COVID-19

Pakistani authorities backed by security forces shut down more than 3,000 shops and markets across the country in a series of raids for violating social distancing regulations, after COVID-19 cases surpassed those in neighbouring China.

The virus has spread at a fast pace since Prime Minister Imran Khan eased a lockdown in May.

Pakistan on Friday reported 68 more coronavirus-related deaths, raising its overall fatalities to 1,838. As many as 4,896 more people tested positive in the past 24 hours, the highest single-day infections, bringing the overall to 89,249.

Medical workers are bracing for a surge of COVID-19 patients and some hospitals are turning back those with mild infection, asking them to quarantine themselves at home.

Critics blame Khan for easing restrictions prematurely. The government says the virus spread because people did not adhere to social distancing regulations.

More than 6.68 million people have been reported infected with the new coronavirus globally and 391,108 have died. Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China last December.

In UAE, the Health Ministry conducted additional 44,000 Covid-19 tests, which revealed 624 new cases, bringing the total number of cases to 37,642.

The ministry said that one person who tested positive for COVID-19 died due to complications. This brings the total death toll to 274.

The total number of recovered cases of Coronavirus (Covid-19) has reached 20,337 with 765 cases fully recovered on Friday after receiving treatment.

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

The UAE National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority has launched an integrated health and safety advisory outlining all precautionary measures that must be pursued across all hotel establishments to ensure safety and wellbeing of guests.

Patrick Moody, UK Ambassador of the UAE said,

“The UAE has already done a lot for the world during the coronavirus crisis, I am sure it will do more.”

The United Arab Emirates has donated 6.6 tonnes of material to the United Kingdom that will enable the country to produce millions of items of personal protective equipment, PPE.

The shipment arrived at Heathrow Airport on a special chartered flight on Friday morning.

UAE also introduced one of the world’s most comprehensive testing and tracking regimes — the UAE has so far tested 2 million people, and intends to test nearly all 9 million citizens and residents.

In Saudi Arabia, a curfew has been reimposed in the Red Sea city of Jeddah from 3pm to 6am for two weeks starting on Saturday due to the spread of the coronavirus, and suspended work in offices.

Prayers in the city’s mosques had also been suspended.

Saudi Arabia on Thursday reported 1,975 new coronavirus cases bringing the total number to 93,157 in the country.

Meanwhile, India had 9,851 new coronavirus cases and 273 deaths in the 24 hours since Thursday morning, officials at the health ministry said on Friday.

The total cases have hit 2,26,770, out of which 110,960 are active cases.

Death toll has mounted to 6,348. The number of people who have been cured, discharged or migrated has increased to 1,09,461.

Delhi’s case tally has crossed an alarming 25,000-mark and now stands second to Maharashtra. On Thursday, the national capital recorded 1,359 fresh cases.

Brazil’s death toll from the new coronavirus surpassed Italy’s to become the third-highest in the world, as Europe emerged from punishing lockdowns and the EU pressed for a reopening of borders.

Brazil’s death toll topped 34,000, overtaking Italy’s to become the third highest in the world, while cases Mexico, Peru, Ecuador and Chile continued to mount.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday reported 1,862,656 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 20,555 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 1,035 to 108,064.

The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 pm ET on June 4 versus its previous report released on Thursday.

Agencies