DUBAI: The coronavirus pandemic has gone full circle as the Chinese city of Wuhan, ground zero of the viral conflagration that ravaged the global community, has high geared massive testing after a new cluster of infections were reported there since it was released from lockdown on April 8.
Elsewhere, countries are further easing restrictions despite fears of a second wave of infections – a huge blow to public health considering the global race to develop a vaccine for coronavirus still have not resulted into workable results.
Saturday, May 16, 2020 (all times GMT)
17:55 - The UAE announced 796 new cases of COVID-19 and 603 more cases of recovery from the disease.
17:28 - Pakistan is resuming domestic flights after they were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
17:24 - Turkey announced 1,610 new coronavirus cases on Saturday bringing the total number of cases in the country to 148,067.
17:05 - The downward trend of fatalities in France continues as it announced on Saturday that its coronavirus death toll in hospitals and nursing homes rose to 27,625 from 27,529 on Friday.
16:35 - Morocco announced 89 new cases of coronavirus and 2 deaths from the disease on Saturday.
16:33 - Egypt announced 491 new cases of COVID-19 and 20 deaths from the disease on Saturday.
16:20- The number of deaths in New York fell to 157 on Friday, the state’s governor Andrew Cuomo said.
16:15 - The daily toll from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy fell to 153 on Saturday, its lowest since March 9, against 242 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the daily tally of new cases increased to 875 from 789 on Friday.
14:30 - German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas calls on Poland and the Czech Republic to fully open their borders soon to enable the free flow of people and goods.
"I'm hoping that the border controls that the Polish and Czech friends currently do will also be lifted in the foreseeable future," Maas said.
14:12 - Yemen announced 13 new cases of COVID-19 and 3 deaths from the disease on Saturday.
13:55 - UK's COVID-19 death toll rose by 468 on Saturday taking the total number of people to have died from the virus in Britain to 34,466.
13:00 – Kuwait confirmed 10 coronavirus-related deaths and 942 new cases in past 24 hours.
12:44 – Saudi Arabia reported 2,870 new coronavirus cases overnight.
11:54 – Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the country will seek one-month extension of state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Above, people queue to receive donated food in Madrid, Spain on May 16, 2020. (Reuters)
11:05 – Qatar said it had 1,547 new coronavirus cases overnight.
11:01 – Bahrain reported 72 new coronavirus cases and 113 recoveries.
10:15 – Iran registered 35 new coronavirus deaths, 1,757 new infected cases.
10:13 – Spain’s number of coronavirus cases rose to 230,689 from 230,183 on Friday.
10:11 – Kuwait confirmed 203 coronavirus patients have recovered, raising total recoveries to 3,843.
08:50 – Indonesia reported 13 new coronavirus deaths bringing the total to 1,089.
08:44 – Malaysia confirmed 17 new coronavirus cases; cases now at 6,872 with one new death.
08:27 – The Philippines’ health ministry reported 11 more coronavirus deaths and 214 additional infections.
Residents seek temporary shelter in Sorsogon town south of Manila on May 14, 2020 as Typhoon Vongfong approaches amid the coronavirus pandemic. (AFP)
08:24 – Oman reported 404 new COVID-19 cases, raising caseload to 5,029.
07:44 – Russia has reported 9,200 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours.
07:44 – Canada and China said they are experimenting with a coronavirus prevention vaccine called ‘AD5 NCOV’.
07:30 – Singapore registered 465 new coronavirus infections, its health ministry said on Saturday, taking the city-state’s total to 27,356 cases.
05:16 – As Wuhan, the Chinese city where the COVID-19 pandemic began, revs up a massive testing campaign, some residents crowding the test centers expressed concern that the very act of getting tested could expose them to the coronavirus.
05:06 – The Italian government is easing travel restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic, allowing people to move freely inside the region where they live as of Monday, and between regions starting June 3.
04:58 – Thailand reported no new coronavirus cases or deaths as the country begins to reopen businesses and ease restrictions.
04:52 – India’s total coronavirus cases rose to 85,940, taking it past China, where the pandemic originated last year, though a strict lockdown enforced since late March has reduced the rate of contagion.
03:45 – From anger over lockdown measures to a purported vaccine plan by Bill Gates: a growing wave of demonstrations in Germany by conspiracy theorists, extremists and anti-vaxxers has alarmed even Chancellor Angela Merkel. READ THE STORY
03:03 – House Democrats on Friday narrowly pushed through the largest-ever US economic rescue package, but the coronavirus measure faces headwinds in the White House and Senate where Republicans bemoan its $3 trillion price tag.
02:37 – LATAM Airlines said Friday it would lay off 1,400 employees in South America, blaming a drastic slump in business due to the coronavirus pandemic.
