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Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia suspended the year-round “umrah” pilgrimage over fears of the new coronavirus spreading to Islam’s holiest cities, an unprecedented move that raised uncertainty over the annual hajj.

Agencies

“But under the current circumstances, as we are talking about the global pandemic… the kingdom is keen to protect the health of Muslims and citizens and so we have asked our brother Muslims in all countries to wait before doing (hajj) contracts until the situation is clear.”

Saudi authorities are yet to announce whether they will proceed with this year’s hajj, scheduled for the end of July.

The pilgrimage — which last year attracted 2.5 million people — is a key revenue earner for the kingdom. But it could be a major source of contagion as it packs pilgrims closely in religious sites.

Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia suspended prayers inside all its mosques except the two holiest sites in Islam as it increased efforts to contain the new coronavirus.

The announcements risk riling fringe Muslim hardliners, for whom religion trumps health considerations.

Saudi Arabia is scrambling to limit the spread of the disease at home. The kingdom’s health ministry has reported 1,563 coronavirus infections and 10 deaths from the illness so far.

With more than 40,000 killed by the disease barrelling around the globe, the United States, already home to the largest number of confirmed infections, hit a bleak milestone as its national death toll surpassed China’s.

AFP

Deaths from the coronavirus spiked in Europe on Tuesday with Spain, France and Britain reporting their highest daily tolls to date, as field hospitals shot up across New York, the epicentre of the U.S. outbreak bracing for dark times ahead.

With more than 40,000 killed by the disease barrelling around the globe, the United States, already home to the largest number of confirmed infections, hit a bleak milestone as its national death toll surpassed China’s. In a matter of months, the virus has infected nearly 850,000 people in a crisis hammering the global economy and transforming the daily existence of some 3.6 billion people who have been told to stay home under lockdowns.

Deaths shot up again across Europe. While there are hopeful signs that the spread of infections is slowing in hardest-hit Italy and Spain, more than 800 died overnight in both countries. France recorded a one-day record of 499 dead while Britain reported 381 coronavirus deaths. With hospitals direly overstretched, lockdowns have been extended despite their crushing economic impact.

In Belgium, a 12-year-old girl died in another worrying case of a youth succumbing to the disease. Meanwhile, the United States saw its death toll top 3,600, roaring past China’s official tally of 3,309, according to a Johns Hopkins University tracker. France joined it with a surge to 3,525 deaths, an official toll that includes only those who died in hospital and not those who perished at home or in seniors’ homes.

‘We need help now’

The inundation of patients has sent health facilities around the world into overdrive. Field hospitals are popping up in event spaces while distressed medical staff make grim decisions about how to distribute limited protective gear, beds and life-saving respirators.

In scenes previously unimaginable in peacetime, around a dozen white tents were erected to serve as a field hospital in New York’s Central Park. “You see movies like Contagion and you think it’s so far from the truth, it will never happen. So to see it actually happening here is very surreal,” 57-year-old passerby Joanne Dunbar told AFP.

While many companies and schools around the globe have shifted to teleworking and teaching over video platforms, huge swaths of the world’s workforce cannot perform their jobs online and are now lacking pay and face a deeply uncertain future. Food banks in New York City have seen a surge of newcomers struggling to feed their families.

“It is my first time,” Lina Alba, who lost her job as a cleaner in a Manhattan hotel that closed two weeks ago, said from a food distribution centre. Millions of Americans are awaiting cash injections from a $2 trillion rescue package. “We need the help now. This is crazy,” said Ms. Alba, a 40-year-old single mother of five.

Three quarters of Americans are now under some form of lockdown. Louisiana has emerged as a critical hotspot, with Governor John Bel Edwards warning the State was on track to exceed its ventilator capacity as early as Saturday. “We have yet to see any evidence that we are beginning to flatten the curve,” Mr. Edwards said.

Off the Florida coast, a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship and its sister vessel are pleading for somewhere to dock, possibly at Fort Lauderdale, after four passengers died on board.

Virus breeds divisions

The staggering economic and political upheaval spurred by the virus is opening new fronts for cooperation and conflict. In virtual talks Tuesday, Finance Ministers and Central Bankers from the world’s 20 major economies pledged to address the debt burden of low-income countries and deliver aid to emerging markets. Last week G20 leaders said they were injecting $5 trillion into the global economy to head off a feared deep recession.

In the European Union, however, battle lines have been drawn over the terms of a rescue plan to finance the expected severe economic fallout. Worst-hit Italy and Spain are leading a group pushing for a shared debt instrument — dubbed “coronabonds”. But talk of common debt is a red line for Germany and other northern countries long opposed to such a measure, threatening to divide the bloc in the midst of a health catastrophe.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen warned governments not to use emergency measures as a pretext for power grabs. Her call followed concerns about a new law giving Hungary’s nationalist leader Viktor Orban sweeping authority to rule by decree until his government deems the emergency over. Activists worldwide have voiced fears that autocrats will overreach and hold on to their new powers even after the crisis abates.

‘Nothing to eat’

The economic pain of lockdowns is especially acute in the developing world. In Tunisia several hundred protested a week-old lockdown that has disproportionately impacted the poor. “Nevermind coronavirus, we’re going to die anyway! Let us work!” shouted one protester in the demonstration on the outskirts of the capital Tunis.

Africa’s biggest city Lagos entered its first full day of a two-week shutdown — containment will be especially tough in the megacity’s packed slums, where many rely on daily wages to survive. “There is no money for the citizens,” engineer Ogun Nubi Victor, 60. “People are just sitting at home, with nothing to eat,” he said.

While much of the world shuts down, the ground-zero Chinese city of Wuhan has begun reawakening in recent days, giving the bereaved the first chance in months to bury their dead.

The death toll rose to 8,189 on Tuesday from 7,340 on Monday.

AFP

again, Spain hit a new record with 849 COVID-19 deaths in 24 hours on Tuesday although health chiefs said the rate of new infections was continuing its downward trend.

After Italy, Spain has suffered the world’s second most deadly outbreak, which has now claimed 8,189 lives there. The latest figures came a day after the death toll fell slightly, dampening hopes it could have passed the peak of the crisis.

Over the same period, the number of confirmed cases rose to 94,417 after another 9,222 people tested positive: a nearly 11% increase.

That figure was seen as a setback after a week, in which the rate had been steadily failing, with Monday’s figures having shown a rise of just over 8%.

“It’s true that today we have a slight increase in the number of cases,” said Maria Jose Sierra, from the health ministry’s emergencies coordination unit. But the downward trend “is continuing”, she added.

This time last week, the rate of new infections stood at around 20%.

Now on day 18 of an unprecedented four-week national lockdown to slow the spread of the virus, Spain has sought to dramatically ramp up testing. It is sourcing kits from around the world in order to test some 50,000 people per day, up from the current 20,000.

Meanwhile, Italy marked a minute of silence and flew flags at half mast on Tuesday to mourn the 11,591 people who have died.

The death toll in Italy has climbed by 837 to 12,428, the Civil Protection Agency has said.

“In the past 24 hours, there has been 3,111 new cases of infected people.”

Reuters

Iran’s death toll from coronavirus has reached 2,898, with 141 deaths in the past 24 hours, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur told state TV on Tuesday, adding that the total number of infected cases has jumped to 44,606.

“In the past 24 hours, there has been 3,111 new cases of infected people. Unfortunately, 3,703 of the infected people are in a critical condition,” Jahanpur said.

Russian President Validimir Putin visited the Kommunarka hospital on March 24 where he chatted with doctor Denis Protsenko

Reuters

A doctor who gave Russian President Vladimir Putin a tour of Moscow’s main coronavirus hospital last week said on March 31 he had himself been diagnosed with the virus.

Mr. Putin visited the Kommunarka hospital on March 24 where he chatted with the doctor, Denis Protsenko. Neither of them were wearing protective equipment during their conversation, TV footage from the visit showed.

Mr. Protsenko, writing on Facebook said, “Yes, I have tested positive for coronavirus, but I feel pretty good. I’ve isolated myself in my office. I think the immunity I’ve developed this month is doing its job.”

The Kremlin said that Mr. Putin was being regularly tested for coronavirus and that “everything is okay,” the RIA news agency reported.

It previously said that Mr. Putin is being protected from viruses and other illnesses “around the clock”.

Mr. Putin donned a hazmat suit and a respirator during his visit to the hospital last week when dropping in on patients. But he did not have his protective gear on during a meeting with Mr. Protsenko, with whom he was photographed shaking hands.

The Kremlin reported a coronavirus case in Mr. Putin’s administration on March 27, but said the person in question had not come into contact with the President and that all measures were being taken to prevent the virus from spreading further.

Russian lawmakers on March 31 granted the government powers to declare a national emergency over the coronavirus, and approved penalties for violations of lockdown rules including, in extreme cases, jail terms of up to seven years.

It awaits a formal nod from the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

PTI

Pakistan has approved a ₹1,200-billion relief package to deal with the growing COVID-19 crisis in the country as cases rise sharply.

So far, the pandemic has claimed the lives of 25 people and infected over 1,800 in the country.

The package was approved by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) in a meeting chaired by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh on Monday.

It now awaits a formal nod from the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Radio Pakistan reported that the meeting of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Khan, was in progress here.

“It is discussing the situation arising out of the coronavirus including its impact on the country’s economy and the poor people,” stated the report.

According to a notification by the government, a ₹100 billion emergency fund was set up to deal with the impact of the pandemic. It was also agreed to provide 20.2 million people ₹12,000 on a monthly basis for four months via the Ehsaas Kifalat Programme.

Another ₹72 billion will be provided through the Benazir Income Support Programme.

Moreover, ₹200 billion have been allocated for daily wage earners and labourers. The Federal Bureau of Revenue was tasked to issue ₹75 billion in tax refunds.

As per the package, the 2% tax on import of pulses has been abolished and the withholding tax rate on spices, dry milk and salt supplies has been set at 1.5 % for utility stores.

The ECC approved ₹30 billion for textile exporters as payment of duty drawbacks. A ₹6 billion grant was approved for the Pakistan Railways. Another ₹50 billion was set aside for procurement of medical supplies.

A hefty ₹280 billion was allocated for procurement of wheat to stock it for use in future. Another ₹25 billion was allocated to be used by the disaster management body which is leading effort to provide medical supplies.

The package was announced by Mr. Khan last week and also included reduction of ₹15 per liter in the prices of patrol in the country. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) also lowered interest rates to facilitate the businesses.

Recently, the SBP also asked the banks to provide relief in debt to individuals and companies to help them to defer payment of interest on the principal amount for one year.

Mr. Khan said in his address to the nation on Monday that that the total package was worth $8 billion, which he conceded was far low as compared to other countries.

Officials in Pakistan were scrambling to contain the disease by appealing to the public to remain inside homes and go out only in cases of emergencies.

So far 25 people have died of the disease, while 52 recovered. Another 12 were in critical condition at various hospitals. The number of cases reached 1,865.