Saudi Arabia will partially lift the curfew in all regions of the kingdom from 9am to 5pm, starting Sunday through Wednesday, May 13. The order was issued by King Salman. According to state news agency SPA, the 24-hour curfew will, however, remain in Makkah and in previously isolated neighbourhoods. The order also allowed the opening of some economic and commercial activities.
The New York City government has announced plans to distribute free halal meals to 500,000 Muslims in the city during Ramazan. The development came to help families, especially those who have lost their income due to the coronavirus lockdown, celebrate the holy month. More than 400,000 halal meals will be available at 435 school where all New Yorkers can go for food.
The Indian Council of Medical Research has asked states across the country to stop using COVID-19 rapid testing kits after discrepancies in results. The state of Rajasthan has completely halted testing through the kits. According to Rajasthan Medical and Health Minister Raghu Sharma, they did rapid tests on 168 confirmed cases but only 5.4% of them tested positive for antibodies.
Two cats in New York have become the first pets in the United States to test positive for the new coronavirus. According to US health authorities there is no evidence pets can spread the vrus to humans. The cats, from separate areas of New York state, had mild respiratory illness and are expected to make a full recovery.
Pakistani labourers in Saudia Arabia will get visa extensions, it was announced Wednesday. Saudi Minister for Manpower Abdullah Bin Naseer spoke to Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistanis, Zulfi Bukhari, on the matter. The entry and exit class visa will get an extension. Employees who lost their jobs will get their salaries and arrears cleared, Saudi officials assured the Pakistani authorities.
Donald Trump has said that he will ban immigration into the United States to fight the “invisible enemy” of the novel coronavirus. He tweeted, that in the light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy as well as the need to protect the jobs of their American Citizens. He also mentioned that he will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States.
US crude oil futures turned negative on Monday for the first time in history, ending the day at a stunning minus $37.63 a barrel. Traders sold heavily because of rapidly filling storage space at the key Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery point. The May U.S. WTI contract fell $55.9, or 306 per cent, to settle at a discount of $37.63 a barrel after touching an all-time low of -$40.32 a barrel.
Europe began preparing for a slow reopening as United States epicenter New York reported headway Sunday in their battle against the deadly pandemic. Governments across the world are now debating how and when to ease lockdowns that have kept more than half of humanity confined to their homes and crippled the global economy. Europe saw encouraging signs with Italy, Spain, France and Britain showing drops in daily death tolls and slowing infection rates.
US Ambassador to Pakistan Paul W Jones has assured that the United States stands with Pakistan in its fight against the novel coronavirus.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson recovered from coronavirus but faced criticism for being “missing in action” at the beginning of the outbreak. Johnson spent three days in intensive care after contracting the virus, but was released from hospital a week ago. The leader was accused of being “missing in action” by Labour shadow health minister Jonathan Ashworth following a Sunday Times newspaper report.