Saudi Arabia to lift curfew,
resume economic activities
Saudi Arabia will lift a nationwide curfew and resume all economic and commercial activities as of Sunday morning, state news agency SPA has quoted a source in the interior ministry as saying
The curfew will be lifted as of 6 AM on Sunday, while Umra, international flights, entry to kingdom across land borders and social gatherings to more than 50 people remain suspended, the statement said
Qatar reports 1,026 coronavirus cases
At least 1,026 people have contracted coronavirus in Qatar in the last 24 hours, the country’s public health ministry said, taking the total to 86,488.
One person died from the virus, the ministry added, taking the death toll to 94.
Pope holds first post-lockdown audience, hails Italy healthcare workers
Pope Francis held his first audience for a group of people since Italy lifted its coronavirus lockdown, granting it to health workers from the Italian region most affected by the pandemic.
“You were one of the supporting pillars of the entire country,” he told doctors and nurses from the Lombardy region gathered in the Vatican’s frescoed Clementine Hall, which had not been used for months because of the crisis.
“To those of you here and to your colleagues all across Italy go my esteem and my sincere thanks, and I know very well I am interpreting everyone’s sentiments,” he said.
Italy returned to relative normality on June 3 when Italians were allowed to move between regions again. But rules such as social distancing in public and wearing masks are still in effect.
Nearly 35,000 people in Italy have died of coronavirus, the fourth highest number in the world after the United States, Brazil and Britain.
US Embassy in Kabul battling Covid-19 infections
The US State Department says Covid-19 infections have been reported at its embassy in the Afghan capital and the staff who are affected include diplomats, contractors and locally employed staff.
The State Department did not say how many were affected. An official at the embassy in Kabul, who could not be identified because of not being authorized to talk to the media, said as many as 20 people were infected, the majority of whom are Nepalese Gurkhas, who provide embassy security.
“The embassy is implementing all appropriate measures to mitigate the spread of Covid-19,” the US State department said. The infected staff are in isolation in the embassy while the remainder on the compound are being tested, said the embassy official, who also said the embassy staff have been told they can expect tighter isolation orders.
Indonesia reports 1,226 new coronavirus infections, 56 deaths
Indonesia reported 1,226 new coronavirus infections, taking the total number of cases in the South East Asian nation to 45,029.
Health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said there were 56 more deaths reported, with total fatalities now at 2,429, the highest coronavirus death toll in East Asia outside of China.
UK to conclude England’s 2-metre Covid-19 rule review soon
Britain’s government will announce in the coming days whether it will reduce its two-metre social distancing rule for England, a minister said.
Many employers, especially in the hospitality and leisure sectors, have said the rule that people must remain two metres apart will stop them from getting back to speed as the coronavirus lockdown is lifted.
“We have committed to reviewing the two-metre to one-metre rule and we will be concluding on that shortly,” culture minister Oliver Dowden told BBC radio late on Friday. “Within the coming days we will get the outcome,” he added.
Russia reports just under 8,000 new coronavirus cases
Russia reported 7,889 new cases of the novel coronavirus, pushing its nationwide case tally to 576,952 since the crisis began.
The national coronavirus response centre said 161 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 8,002.
India registers highest single-day rise in cases
India recorded its highest single-day jump in coronavirus cases with 14,516, bringing the tally to 395,048, according to health officials.
The death toll rose to 12,948 with 375 fatalities in a day. India registered over 10,000 cases for the ninth day in a row.
SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies
