Middle East countries heighten efforts to control coronavirus as more cases emerge

The virus has infected over 240,000 people globally. (File/AFP)
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Updated 21 March 2020
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Middle East countries heighten efforts to control coronavirus as more cases emerge

  • Saudi Arabia has suspended domestic flights, trains, buses and taxis for two weeks in the Kingdom

DUBAI: Countries in the Middle East have been implementing new measures to fight the spread of COVID-19, which has already infected over 240,000 people globally and has killed nearly 10,000.

Friday, March 20 (All times in GMT)

20:15 - The United Arab Emirates health ministry announced on Friday its first two deaths from coronavirus, UAE official news agency WAM said.
The two deaths are for cases that suffered from previous health conditions, the agency said.

20:10 -  Israel reported its first fatality from the coronavirus on Friday, an 88-year-old man who also suffered from previous illnesses.
The Health Ministry said in a statement the man had been brought to the hospital about a week ago in serious condition.
Israel has so far reported 705 cases of coronavirus, the large majority with mild symptoms. About 10 patients are in serious condition and 15 have recovered completely.

20:03 - Egypt on Friday registered 29 new coronavirus cases, the health ministry said in a statement, bringing the total to 285.
The ministry said there was one new fatality, bringing the total number of deaths to eight.

19:38 -  The United Arab Emirates suspended entry of citizens of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states until the approval of a pre-examination mechanism, starting at midnight today, Emirates News Agency (WAM) said on Friday quoting the foreign ministry. 

18:45 -  French health authorities reported 78 new deaths from coronavirus, taking the total to 450 or an increase of 21 percent, the toll rising less sharply then the two days before as extra measures to enforce the national lockdown were locally announced. The number of cases had risen to 12,612, up from 10,995 on Thursday.

17:25 - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told cafes, pubs and restaurants across the country to close on Friday night and to stay shut indefinitely to help slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.
"We are telling cafes, bars and restaurants to close tonight as soon as they reasonably can and not to open tomorrow," Johnson told reporters in Downing Street. "Though to be clear, they can continue to provide takeout services.
"Some people may of course be tempted to go out tonight, and I say to those people, 'please don't,'" Johnson said.
He said the government had to enforce the closure of cafes, pubs, restaurants as well as gyms and leisure centres to slow the spread of the virus.
"We're also telling nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres to close on the same timescale," Johnson said. "The sad thing is today, for now, at least physically, we need to keep people apart."




Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak (L) and Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson (R) attend a news conference addressing the government's response to the coronavirus outbreak. (File/AFP)

Britain's government will pay businesses hit by the coronavirus outbreak not to lay off workers, as part of what finance minister Rishi Sunak said would be an unprecedented economic intervention.
"Today I can announce that for the first time in our history the government is going to step in and pay people's wages," Sunak said at a news conference, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered the closure of pubs and eat-in restaurants.
Sunak said the government would give grants to cover 80% of a worker's salary if businesses kept them on staff.

19:05 - Saudi Arabia announces 70 new cases of coronavirus, 58 of which are related to attending social events.

16:15 -  Canada will no longer accept irregular migrants trying to cross the shared border with the United States and will instead return them to US authorities, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday.
The move marks a significant change in tactics from the Liberal government, which earlier this week had said those traversing the frontier would be put into quarantine.
"This is a temporary measure which we'll put in place for as long as the coronavirus crisis lasts. These are exceptional measures to protect citizens," Trudeau told a news conference.

16:00 - US President Donald Trump said on Friday he had put the Defense Production Act into action after saying earlier this week he would invoke the measure but essentially put it on hold until needed.
The measure is meant to allow the US government to speed production of masks, respirators, ventilators and other needed equipment to fight the coronavirus outbreak.
Trump said he put the measure into action on Thursday evening.

The United States and Mexico have agreed to restrict non-essential travel across their border beginning on Saturday because of the coronavirus outbreak, the US announced Friday.
US President Donald Trump said the move, similar to one already announced with northern neighbor Canada, was necessary to prevent the "spread the infection to our border agents, migrants, and to the public at large."
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters at a White House briefing that trade between the United States and Mexico would continue.




US President Donald Trump addresses his administration's daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House in Washington, US, March 20, 2020. (Reuters)

15:46 - A further 39 people have died in England after testing positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths in the country to 167, the National Health Service said on Friday.
The patients who died were aged between 50 and 99 and had underlying health conditions.

14:30 - The number of journeys on London's underground train network has fallen by around 70% and on buses by roughly 40% as the authorities advised against all but essential travel due to the coronavirus outbreak.
"The financial impact of the reduction in our services and other business interruption caused by the response to COVID-19 virus is part of the collective national and global fight to control the spread of COVID-19," Transport for London (TfL) said.

14:00 - Tunisian President Kais Saied on Friday ordered a general lockdown, restricting public movement to counter the spread of the coronavirus.
Speaking in a televised broadcast, Saied said he was asking the majority of people to stay at home and stopping movement between Tunisian cities. 

13:50 - Saudi Arabia announced new emergency stimulus measures on Friday that took its support for the economy to more than $32 billion as it battles the impact of the coronavirus outbreak and lower oil prices.

The Saudi central bank said last week it had prepared a SR 50-billion ($13.32 billion) package to help banks and small and medium-sized enterprises cope with the economic impact of the coronavirus.

Under the package announced by Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan on Friday, SR 70 billion will be set aside to help businesses, with measures such as exemptions and postponements of some government fees and taxes.

Business owners will be allowed to postpone value-added tax (VAT), excise tax, and income tax payments for a period of three months, the minister said in a statement.

Expat fees, which the government charges for hiring expatriates and obtaining visas for their dependents, will also be cancelled for a three-month period.

13:45 - The United States said Friday it was suspending all routine visa services around the world due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
US embassies and consulates will still consider emergency visas if they have adequate staff, the State Department said.
"In response to significant worldwide challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of State is temporarily suspending routine visa services at all US embassies and consulates," a travel advisory said.

13:30 - Jordan will impose a countrywide lockdown from Saturday to combat the coronavirus, barring people from moving except for emergencies, the government said.
The measures will apply from 0700 local time (0500 GMT) on Saturday until further notice, said Amjad Al Adailah, government spokesman.
King Abdullah has enacted an emergency decree giving the government sweeping powers to enforce an army-imposed curfew and other measures that infringe on civil and political liberties.

11:43 – Saudi Arabia announced a 120 billion Saudi riyals worth of initiatives to implement urgent measures to mitigate the impact of coronavirus on the Kingdom’s economic activities, including the private sector.

11:40 – Vietnam’s health ministry said it will quarantine all foreign arrivals from March 21.

11:27 – Switzerland has confirmed the numebr of coronavirus cases in the country at 4,840.

11:16 – Georgia has completely suspended air traffic with other countries, a government spokesman said.

11:00 – Singapore has reported 40 new coronavirus cases, taking tally to 385, a health ministry official said.

10:51 – Up 10,000 people have now died worldwide from the coronavirus pandemic, French news agency AFP reported.

10:41 – Iran’s death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak rose by 149 to 1,433 on Friday, a health ministry official tweeted, adding that that total number of confirmed infections had increased by 1,237 to 19,644.

10:15Belgium has passed 2,000 coronavirus cases, an official said.

10:15 – The UAE has renewed entry procedures for Gulf Cooperation Council citizens starting Saturday March 21.

10:14 – Iran health ministry official said 1,433 have died so far from new coronavirus, and the number of infected cases has risen to 19,644.

10:11 – Austria said it was extending its coronavirus restrictions until April 13.

09:36 – Malaysia has recorded 130 new coronavirus cases, bringing total to 1,030.

09:35 – South Africa has confirmed new cases of covid-19 on Friday, bringing toll from 52 to 202.

09:24 – Cape Verde has confirmed its first case of coronavirus on Friday.

09:12 – German coronavirus fatalities increased by 11 to 31 overnight and the number of confirmed cases rose to 13,957, according to the Robert Koch Institute.

08:32 The government of Hong Kong has confirned 48 new cases of coronavirus on Friday, a record day high for the country.

08:32 – Kuwait has recorded 11 new cases of coronavirus on Friday.

08:27 – The Philippines has recorded 13 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, raising total to 230. One additional death has been reported, bringing death toll to 18.




Workers wearing protective suits disinfect a street as a preventive measure against coronavirus in Manila, Philippines. (AFP)

07:57 UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said if people do not follow the advice then the country may need to impose further tougher measures.

07:45 – French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the government will take additional measures to limit people’s movements if necessary.

07:15 – Qatar has removed exit visa requirements for an additional segment of its foreign labor force, including some of those working in the oil and gas industry, according to official tweets posted on Friday.

06:21 Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan issued a decree on Friday postponing all events related to science, culture and art, as it seeks to contain a surge in coronavirus cases.

06:25Oman has raided street vendors in Muscat for violating health precautions on Friday.

04:32 – Thailand has reported 50 new cases of coronavirus on Friday, bringing the total to 322.

03:30 – Saudi Arabia has suspended domestic flights, trains, buses and taxis for two weeks in the Kingdom on Friday, as it heightens its efforts against the new coronavirus. 

Thursday, March 19 (All times in GMT)

20:36 – Egypt has reported one death and 46 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of infected cases to 256 including 28 recovered patients and seven deaths.

Meanwhile, the government has suspended activities in cinemas and theaters as part of the country’s efforts to combat the spread of coronavirus in the country, local press reported on Thursday.

20:13Export of medicines, pharmaceutical and medical devices will be halted, the Saudi Customs announced on Friday in a circular sent to its land, sea and air customs ports as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus COVID-19, state news agency SPA reported.

19:59 – The UAE’s National Corporation for Tourism & Hotels, NCTH, announced the exemption of tenants of retail shops and restaurants at its hotels from paying rents for three months, as part of the country’s efforts to fight against the new coronavirus COVID-19.

18:47 – Oman’s Ministry of Health has confirmed nine new coronavirus cases in the country, bringing the total number of infected cases to 48.

“Eight citizens and one expat have been infected with the virus,” the ministry said.

18:37 – The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has established a helpline for residents who are affected by the two-week suspension of re-entry to the country.

Holders of valid residence permits overseas and their family members and first-degree relatives in the UAE can call the helpline 0097124965228 for enquiries and assistance for humanitarian and emergency cases to ensure their safe return to the UAE, the ministry said in a report by state-run WAM.

17:57 – Kuwait’s health ministry reported three new recovered cases, bringing the total number of recoveries in the country to 18.

14:45 – The UAE has helped evacuate 80 people from Iran including 74 South Koreans and six Iranian family members on Thursday, a step the country has taken in response to a request by the South Korean government due to the coronavirus outbreak in the Islamic Republic

14:05 – Abu Dhabi’s tourism department has suspended sea cruises, desert camps, safaris and floating restaurants on Thursday evening, as a preventive measure against COVID-19.

10:23 – The International Air and Transport Association (IATA) has appealed to governments in the Middle East and Africa to support the aviation industry, as it takes major blows from the coronavirus outbreak

13:25 – Jordan imposes nationwide curfew starting noon March 21st.


Attacks against Palestinians intensify in occupied West Bank, says UN rights office

Updated 15 July 2025
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Attacks against Palestinians intensify in occupied West Bank, says UN rights office

  • About 30,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced in the north of the occupied West Bank since the Israeli military launched its ‘Iron Wall’ operation
  • In June, the UN recorded the highest monthly count of Palestinians injured in over two decades in the West Bank

GENEVA: There has been an increase in killings of and attacks against Palestinians by settlers and security forces in the occupied West Bank in recent weeks, the United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday.

“Israeli settlers and security forces have intensified their killings, attacks and harassment of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in the past weeks,” Thameen Al-Kheetan, a spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OCHCR), told reporters in Geneva.

About 30,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced in the north of the occupied West Bank since the Israeli military launched its “Iron Wall” operation.

It is contributing to the ongoing consolidation of annexation of the West Bank, in violation of international law, the OHCHR said.

In June, the UN recorded the highest monthly count of Palestinians injured in over two decades in the West Bank.

Since January there have been 757 settler attacks on Palestinians or their properties, which is a 13 percent increase on the same period last year, OHCHR said.

At least 964 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023, by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Fifty-three Israelis have been killed in the West Bank and in Israel in reported attacks by Palestinians or in armed clashes, the office added.


One in ten children screened in UNRWA clinics are malnourished, says UN Palestinian refugee agency

Updated 15 July 2025
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One in ten children screened in UNRWA clinics are malnourished, says UN Palestinian refugee agency

  • One in ten children screened in UNRWA clinics are malnourished

GENEVA: One in ten children screened in clinics run by the United Nations refugee agency in Gaza is malnourished, UNRWA said on Tuesday.
"Our health teams are confirming that malnutrition rates are increasing in Gaza, especially since the siege was tightened more than four months ago on the second of March," UNRWA's Director of Communications, Juliette Touma, told reporters in Geneva via a video link from Amman, Jordan.


Israel military says striking Hezbollah targets in east Lebanon

Updated 15 July 2025
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Israel military says striking Hezbollah targets in east Lebanon

  • Israel's military said: “Moments ago, Israeli Air Force fighter jets... began numerous strikes toward Hezbollah terror targets in the area of Beqaa, Lebanon”

JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said it was striking targets belonging to Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force in eastern Lebanon on Tuesday, the latest attack despite a ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group.
“Moments ago, Israeli Air Force fighter jets... began numerous strikes toward Hezbollah terror targets in the area of Beqaa, Lebanon,” it said in a statement.
“The military compounds that were struck were used by the Hezbollah terrorist organization for training and exercising terrorists to plan and carry out terrorist attacks against (Israeli) troops and the State of Israel,” it added.
The statement said an Israeli military operation in September 2024 had “eliminated” Radwan force commanders in Beirut and southern Lebanon, but that “since then the unit has been operating to reestablish its capabilities.”
“The storage of weapons and the activities of the Hezbollah terrorist organization at these sites constitute a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon and constitute a future threat to the State of Israel,” it added.
Israel has repeatedly bombed Lebanon despite a November ceasefire that sought to end over a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, including two months of all-out war that left the group severely weakened.
Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah was to pull its fighters back north of the Litani river, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border, leaving the Lebanese army and United Nations peacekeepers as the only armed parties in the region.
Israel was required to fully withdraw its troops from the country but has kept them in five places it deems strategic.


Drone attack shuts Iraq oil field run by US company

Updated 15 July 2025
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Drone attack shuts Iraq oil field run by US company

  • The Kurdistan natural resources ministry said the Sarsang oil field in Duhok province was hit
  • Strike called ‘an act of terrorism against the Kurdistan Region’s vital economic infrastructure’

IRBIL, Iraq: A drone strike forced a US company to suspend operations at an oil field in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region Tuesday, amid a wave of similar attacks targeting the region’s energy infrastructure.

The Kurdistan natural resources ministry said the Sarsang oil field in Duhok province was hit, calling the strike “an act of terrorism against the Kurdistan Region’s vital economic infrastructure.”

The attack followed a similar drone strike a day earlier in neighboring Irbil province.

HKN Energy, the US company, said Tuesday’s blast occurred at about 7:00 a.m. (0400 GMT) at one of its production facilities in the Sarsang field.

“Operations at the affected facility have been suspended until the site is secured,” it said in a statement.

A fire broke out following the explosion, which did not cause any casualties.

Emergency response teams have contained the blaze, the company said later in an update.

In the past few weeks, there has been a spate of drone and rocket attacks mostly affecting Kurdistan.

Long plagued by conflict, Iraq has frequently experienced such attacks, often linked to regional proxy struggles.

The explosion in Sarsang field occurred a day after three explosive-laden drone attacks were reported in Kurdistan, with one drone shot down near Irbil airport, which hosts US troops, and another two hitting the Khurmala oil field causing material damage.

There has been no claim of responsibility for those attacks.

But, on July 3, the Kurdistan authorities said a drone was downed near Irbil airport, blaming the Hashed Al-Shaabi – a coalition of pro-Iran former paramilitaries now integrated into the regular armed forces.

The federal government in Baghdad rejected the accusation.

The latest attacks come at a time of heightened tension between Baghdad and Irbil over oil exports, with a major pipeline through Turkiye shut since 2023 over legal disputes and technical issues.

In May, Iraq’s federal authorities filed a complaint against the autonomous Kurdistan region for signing gas contracts with two US companies, including HKN Energy.


Syria defense minister announces ceasefire in Druze-majority Sweida

Updated 15 July 2025
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Syria defense minister announces ceasefire in Druze-majority Sweida

  • A curfew was to be imposed on the southern city of Sweida in a bid to halt the violence
  • Syrian troops had begun moving toward the city on Monday, taking control of at least one Druze village

DAMASCUS: Syria’s defense minister announced a ceasefire in the Druze-majority city of Sweida on Tuesday after government forces entered the city to end deadly clashes with Bedouin tribes.

“To all units operating within the city of Sweida, we declare a complete ceasefire after an agreement with the city’s notables and dignitaries,” Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra posted on X. Clashes had erupted between government forces and Druze fighters after contradictory statements from Druze religious leaders, with most urging fighters to lay down their arms.
Syrian government forces entered the majority Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday, the interior ministry said, aiming to end clashes with Bedouin tribes that have killed nearly 100 people.

The southern city had been under the control of armed factions from the Druze minority, whose religious leaders said they had approved the deployment of Damascus’s troops and called on fighters to hand over their weapons.

A curfew was to be imposed on the southern city in a bid to halt the violence, which erupted at the weekend and has since spread across Sweida governorate.

Government forces said they intervened to separate the two sides but ended up taking control of several Druze areas around Sweida, an AFP correspondent reported.

Military columns were seen advancing toward Sweida on Tuesday morning, with heavy artillery deployed nearby.

The defense ministry said later that they had entered the city, and urged people to “stay home and report any movements of outlaw groups.”

An AFP correspondent heard explosions and gunshots as soldiers moved into Sweida.

Troops had begun heading toward the city on Monday, taking control of at least one Druze village, with one Druze faction saying talks were underway with the Damascus government.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor reported 99 people killed since the fighting erupted on Sunday — 60 Druze, including four civilians, 18 Bedouin fighters, 14 security personnel and seven unidentified people in military uniforms.

The defense ministry reported 18 deaths among the ranks of the armed forces.

While Druze religious authorities had called on Monday evening for a ceasefire and said they didn’t oppose the central government, Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri, one of the three Druze spiritual leaders in Sweida, opposed the arrival of the security forces and called for “international protection.”

Israel, which has attempted to portray itself as a protector of the Druze in Syria and sees them as potential allies, bombed several Syrian tanks on Monday.

The strikes were “a clear warning to the Syrian regime – we will not allow harm to be done to the Druze in Syria,” said Defense Minister Israel Katz, whose country has its own Druze population.

The fighting underscores the challenges facing interim leader Ahmad Al-Sharaa, whose Islamist forces ousted president Bashar Assad in December after nearly 14 years of civil war.

Syria’s pre-war Druze population was estimated at around 700,000, many of them concentrated in Sweida province.

The Druze, followers of an esoteric religion that split from Shiite Islam, are mainly found in Syria, Lebanon and Israel.

Following deadly clashes with government forces in April and May, local and religious leaders reached an agreement with Damascus under which Druze fighters had been providing security in the province.

“We lived in a state of extreme terror – the shells were falling randomly,” said Abu Taym, a 51-year-old father.

Amal, a 46-year-old woman, said: “We fear a repeat of the coastal scenario,” referring to massacres in March of more than 1,700 mostly Alawite civilians in northwest Syria, where groups affiliated with the government were blamed for most of the killings.

“We are not against the state, but we are against surrendering our weapons without a state that treats everyone the same,” she added.

In a post on X, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra urged his troops to “protect your fellow citizens” from “outlaw gangs,” and to “restore stability to Sweida.”

The violence began on Sunday when Bedouin gunmen abducted a Druze vegetable vendor on the highway to Damascus, prompting retaliatory kidnappings.

The Observatory said members of Bedouin tribes, who are Sunni Muslims, had sided with security forces during earlier confrontations with the Druze.

Bedouin and Druze factions have a longstanding feud in Sweida, and violence occasionally erupts between the two sides.