Coronavirus updates, May 16: Latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic from Pakistan and around the world
Nationwide death toll climbs past 870, confirmed cases breach 40,000; global coronavirus death toll exceeds 306,000
Updated Saturday May 16 2020
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 40,121 on Saturday after new infections were confirmed in the country.
The province-wise break up of the total number of cases as of 12:20am, May 17, is as follows:
Total confirmed cases: 40,121
• Sindh: 15,590
• Punjab: 14,584
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 5,847
• Balochistan: 2,544
• Islamabad Capital Territory: 921
• Gilgit-Baltistan: 527
• AJK: 108
Deaths: 873
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 305
• Sindh: 268
• Balochistan: 36
• Gilgit-Baltistan: 4
• Punjab: 252
• Islamabad Capital Territory: 7
• AJK: 1
Officials have recorded more than 4.5 million cases and more than 306,000 deaths since the virus emerged in China in December.
Read on for the latest updates from Pakistan and around the world.
Disclaimer: There may be some discrepancy in the number of confirmed cases reported at the country level due to differences in figures quoted by federal and provincial authorities.
Geo News is constantly gathering fresh information from concerned authorities and striving to keep our readers up to date with the most accurate information available.
Orange: General updates coming in from Pakistan
Red: Reports on new cases in Pakistan
Maroon: Reports on new deaths in Pakistan
Green: Reports on recovered patients in Pakistan
END OF LIVE UPDATES FOR MAY 16
Live updates for May 17 to continue here.
12:20am (May 17) — Lahore, Pakistan — Punjab reports seven more deaths, rise in cases by 383
The Punjab disaster management authority has reported seven more deaths in the province, taking the total number of deaths from the virus to 252.
A rise by 383 cases was also reported, taking the tally of infected to 14,584. With the increase, Pakistan's total number of cases breached 40,000 to hit a total of 40,121.
On a positive note, 4,838 individuals have made a "full recovery", according to PDMA Punjab.
11:21pm — Gilgit, Gilgit-Baltistan — Region reports nine new cases, tally hits 527
The Gilgit-Baltistan health department has reported nine new cases, which take the region's total to 527.
Three more people have also recovered in the last 24 hours, taking the total recoveries to 348.
10:29pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh's public transport to reopen after Eid: transport minister
Sindh transport minister Owais Qadir Shah has said that transport in the province will reopen after Eid.
"We have begun preparations for resuming transport services with SOPs in place," said Shah, in a conversation with Geo News.
He said a four-point summary has been prepared to provide relief to transporters and has been sent to the chief minister for approval.
A final decision will be taken by the chief minister following a meeting on Monday.
10:08pm — Quetta, Pakistan — Balochistan reports five deaths, 87 new cases
The Balochistan health department has reported five more deaths in the province, bringing the grim total to 36.
The province also saw a rise in the number of cases by 87. The tally of infected now stands at 2,544.
A total of 417 patients have recovered in the province, after 34 asymptomatic patients completed home isolation.
09:14pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Chinese firm donates two intelligent mask production lines to help local industry
08:54pm — Johannesburg, South Africa — Mine temporarily shuts after virus infects 19 workers
South African platinum mine Implats has temporarily suspended operations after 19 workers tested positive for coronavirus.
The cases at the Marula mine in northern Limpopo province were detected through routine screening and testing.
"Implats has identified 19 positive cases during the week, all of them asymptomatic," the firm said in a statement.
None of the affected miners had returned underground since the company resumed operations after the government partially eased a ban imposed on mining to fight the coronavirus outbreak.
The mine will not operate next week "to enable it to first complete all relevant health and safety protocols" including quarantining detected cases, sanitising and conducting contact tracing and testing, Implats said.
Africa's most industrialised economy has the highest number of recorded coronavirus cases on the continent.
More than 13,500 people have tested positive for the disease and 247 of those have died.
08:39pm — Gilgit, Gilgit-Baltistan — Region to observe 'complete lockdown' tomorrow
Gilgit-Baltistan's information department has said that the region will observe a "complete lockdown" tomorrow except for essential services such as grocery stores, medical stores and vegetable shops.
08:33pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Highest number of tests conducted in last 24 hours
Participants of a meeting of the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) were told that Pakistan, in the last 24 hours, conducted the most number of tests in a day so far.
The country conducted over 14,878 tests which is the greatest number since the first patient was reported in the country.
08:18pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh's case at a glance
08:06pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — WEF recognises Pakistan's green initiative amid COVID-19
07:54pm — Lahore, Pakistan — Punjab govt says female polio workers mobilised to spread awareness on COVID-19 precautions
07:13pm — Washington, USA — 'I made everyone look good, but me,' says Trump on COVID-19 response
06:55pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Tiger Force begins works in capital
WHO encourages people to 'talk it out' as they cope with COVID-19 fears
06:22pm — Peshawar, Pakistan — KP death toll crosses 300 with 14 more deaths
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department has reported 14 more deaths today, taking the grim total to 305.
A rise in the tally of cases was also reported. With 169 new cases, the total now stands at 5,847.
On a positive note, 86 more patients have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 1,699.
06:02pm — Harrisburg, USA — 'My body, my choice' extended to use of masks as 'reopen' protesters storm the streets of Pennsylvania
A few hundred people demonstrated Friday against the coronavirus lockdown in the US state of Pennsylvania, an AFP reporter has said, with many carrying signs declaring themselves "Selfish and proud", besides rejecting the use of masks citing the "my body, my choice" mantra.
The demonstration in the state capital Harrisburg was held despite plans already being in place for an initial easing of restrictions starting May 22 in most of the state.
Few of the demonstrators wore masks or respected social distancing. Many were Trump supporters, with several calling for his re-election in November.
Those who do not wear masks are regularly called "selfish" in the US, where the debate over stay-at-home orders has become highly politicised.
So far Pennsylvania, which says it has seen more than 60,000 infections and 4,300 deaths from COVID-19, has been less afflicted by the pandemic than the neighbouring states of New York and New Jersey.
Anti-lockdown demonstrations have increased in the US in the last month, especially in the states most contested for the presidential election.
They have been encouraged by President Donald Trump, who wants to revive the economy quickly.
Pennsylvania is one of these states, along with Michigan and Wisconsin.
5:55pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — ECC approves cash assistance for labourers
The Economic Coordination Committee approved Emergency Cash Assistance for labourers whose lost their jobs due to the lockdown, reported Radio Pakistan.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, earlier this month announced that the amount collected through PM’s COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Assistance Fund 2020 will be used to assist the labour whose livelihood have been affected due to lockdown.
5:46pm — Wuhan, China — 113,609 COVID-19 tests conducted on May 15: officials
The city of Wuhan, the original epicentre of the new coronavirus outbreak in China, conducted 113,609 nucleic acid tests on May 15, the local health authority said.
Wuhan has launched a city-wide testing campaign after confirming last weekend its first cluster of COVID-19 infections since its release from a virtual lockdown on April 8 to contain the spread of the pathogen.
The number of tests administered on May 15 in the city of 11 million residents was more than 50% higher than the 72,791 tests conducted a day earlier, and was also the highest since the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission started publishing the data on February 21.
5:40pm — Doha, Qatar — Latest coronavirus cases take total above 30,000
Qatar reported another 1,547 cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the country’s total number of confirmed infections to more than 30,000, reported Reuters .
The latest health ministry report on confirmed cases took the total to 30,972, according to figures published on the ministry’s website. One more person died, bringing the death toll to 15.
Only about 300,000 of Qatar’s population are Qatari nationals and the coronavirus outbreak has affected mainly migrant workers, according to human right groups.
05:31pm — Quetta, Pakistan — Balochistan has not yet decided on lifting transport restrictions: Shahwani
Balochistan government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani has said that the provincial government has not yet made a decision regarding the resumption of transport services.
Shahwani said Chief Minister Jam Kamal will review the situation across the various districts and the province overall, before making a decision.
05:23pm — Karachi, Pakistan — CAA shares images of arrangements made at Lahore, Islamabad airports
05:05pm — Karachi, Pakistan — First domestic flight to Karachi takes off from Lahore airport
The first domestic flight destined for Karachi has taken off from the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore.
PK 8035 is carrying 100 passengers, said a spokesperson for PIA.
Flights for Karachi will operate from Lahore and Islamabad.
For Quetta, a weekly flight will run from Lahore and Islamabad and two flights a week will run from Karachi.
For Peshawar, one flight a week will run from Karachi.
Passengers will be seated on every other row.
04:56pm — Moscow, Russia — highest COVID-19 death toll registered
Russia has recorded its highest daily death toll yet from the coronavirus while new cases have fallen to the lowest level in two weeks.
Russia is in second place in the world to the United States with 272,043 cases, with 9,200 new cases announced Saturday, the lowest number since May 2.
But the number of deaths announced Saturday for the last 24 hours was the highest yet in Russia, at 119.
Critics have cast doubt on Russia's low mortality rate, accusing authorities of under-reporting deaths in order to play down the scale of the crisis.
The total number of officially confirmed deaths is now 2,537, lower than a number of other countries with fewer cases.
Russian health officials say one of the reasons the count is lower is that only deaths directly caused by the virus are being included.
Authorities also say that since the virus came later to Russia, the country had more time to prepare hospital beds and launch wide-scale testing to slow its spread.
04:46pm — Lahore, Pakistan — Punjab govt announces 20% reduction in transport fare
Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar has given the nod for inter-city and inter-district transport to reopen and announced a 20% reduction in fares.
"We will pass on the benefit of a reduction in petroleum prices to passengers," said Buzdar.
It was also decided to allow online taxi services to operate.
Buzdar warned that all services will have to strictly abide by the safety protocols outlined by the government.
All passengers, drivers and bus conductors must wear a mask when stepping out of their homes.
All bus operators will be required to make sanitisers available for passengers and ensure proper distancing between people while seated.
It was also decided that shopping malls and power looms will be reopened and churches will be allowed to hold service on Sunday as long as SOPs are followed.
04:20pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Industrial and Commercial Bank of China sends equipment, including 40 ventilators
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) has donated medical equipment to Pakistan, including ventilators.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 40 ventilators are part of the equipment received. Other items include 50,000 N-95 masks and 60,000 surgical masks.
The donated equipment was handed over to the NDMA by staff of the Chinese Embassy and the ICBC.
"China has always supported us in difficult times," said the NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal.
"We greatly value the aid sent to us by China."
3:55pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Govt taking important steps to curb the spread of virus: info minister
Information Minister Shibli Faraz has said the government is taking important steps to curb the spread of the virus in the country.
“The prime minister’s strategy has been clear from the first day,” Faraz said while addressing a press conference.
“As soon as the pandemic hit the country, the NCC and NCOC were established to deal with it. People from all the four provinces were made a part of the NCOC since PM Imran wanted to take everyone together and take everyone’s input,” he said.
He added, the country was facing several challenges and the government was working according to a roadmap to deal with the pandemic.
“PM announced $8 billion relief package for the masses and allocated Rs480 billion for the economy. Rs570 billion was kept to provide relief to the people and through the Ehsaas Programme Rs104 billion was distributed to 85,000 families,” Faraz added.
Stressing upon the need for unity to tackle the challenge, the information minister said he regretted that the opposition parties did not give any positive suggestions in the National Assembly session in the fight against the pandemic.
3:40pm — Madrid, Spain — Spain reports 102 coronavirus deaths overnight, lowest in 8 weeks
Spain's overnight death toll from the coronavirus was 102 on Saturday, the health ministry said, marking the lowest 24-hour rise since mid March, reported Reuters.
The cumulative death toll rose to 27,563, while the number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 230,698 on Saturday from 230,183 on Friday, the ministry said.
3:25pm — Karachi, Pakistan — There is no Sindh card, only Pakistan card: info minister
Sindh Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah has said no one was playing the Sindh card only Pakistan card, as the country tried to grapple with the pandemic.
“Whatever the prime minister says we will implement,” Shah said while speaking to the media.
“We are ready to work with the prime minister but the instructions need to be clear,” he said, adding the Centre was blaming the provincial government of playing the Sindh card.
Shah added, that the province had so far conducted 6,000 tests and had 12,000 beds which had the capacity to increase to 20,000.
Crowds at Wuhan clinics fear coronavirus testing could rekindle disease
As Wuhan, the Chinese city where the COVID-19 pandemic began, revs up a massive testing campaign, some residents crowding the test centres have expressed concern that the very act of getting tested could expose them to the coronavirus.
Wuhan health authorities sprang back into action after confirming last weekend the central Chinese city’s first cluster of new infections since it was released from virtual lockdown on April 8.
The new cases — all of them people who had previously shown no symptoms of the disease — spurred Wuhan authorities to launch a citywide search for asymptomatic carriers of the virus, aiming to gauge the level of COVID-19 risk.
3:00pm — Lahore, Pakistan — Railway operation can resume in 24hrs when PM Imran gives green signal: Sheikh Rasheed
Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed has said that railways can resume operation in 24 hours if Prime Minister Imran Khan allows, reported Radio Pakistan.
Addressing a press conference at Railways Headquarters in Lahore, Rasheed said that the railway system has been restored worldwide.
“I appeal to the prime minister to allow railways operations to resume from Monday,” he said, adding that people had already booked tickets worth Rs240 million.
“We have until Monday, otherwise we will have to refund Rs240 million to the people,” he said.
2:50pm — Peshawar, Pakistan — Public transport to resume from Monday: Ajmal Wazir
Advisor to KP Chief Minister on Information Ajmal Khan Wazir has said the government has decided to resume public transport in the province from Monday after assurance that SOPs would be followed by the regional transport authority and transporters.
“The provincial task force has taken all its decisions in the interest of the public,” Wazir told a press conference.
Wazir added that transport fares have been reduced after a reduction in prices of petroleum products to provide relief to commuters.
He added that task force has also decided that barbershops will remain open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in the province.
2:45pm — Singapore, Singapore — 465 new coronavirus cases reported
Singapore registered 465 new coronavirus infections, its health ministry said on Saturday, taking the city-state's total to 27,356 cases.
The vast majority of the newly infected people are migrant workers living in dormitories, the health ministry said in a statement. Four are permanent residents.
2:40pm — Moscow, Russia — Russia reports 9,200 new coronavirus infections
Russia reported 9,200 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday, down from 10,598 new cases reported the previous day.
Russia's coronavirus taskforce said the overall number of cases nationwide stood at 272,043. It added that 119 people had died over the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll from the virus to 2,537.
2:20pm — Baghdad, Iraq — PIA flight carrying 257 Pakistanis leaves Baghdad for Islamabad
A special flight of PIA carrying 257 stranded Pakistanis left Baghdad for Islamabad today, reported Radio Pakistan.
The passengers were seen off at the airport by Pakistani ambassador to Iraq, Sajid Bilal. The passengers expressed their gratitude to the government of Pakistan for operating a special flight for their repatriation.
They also conveyed their appreciation for the arrangements made for their safe return.
Global coronavirus cases pass 4.55 million, death toll crosses 306,000
More than 4.55 million people have been reported to have been infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 306,001 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.
2:00pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Death toll climbs to 847
The death toll from the novel coronavirus rose to 847 after 13 more deaths were reported in the province.
Sindh’s death toll from the virus now stands at 268.
1:45pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh reports 674 more cases
Confirmed cases in the country rose to 39,473 after Sindh recorded more cases.
According to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, 674 cases were recorded in the province in the last 24 hours, taking the provincial tally to 15,590.
He added there were 11,518 patients under treatment in the province at the moment, adding that 3,804 patients had recovered from the virus in the province.
Here's what reopenings around the globe look like as countries inch towards normalcy
1:10pm — Phnom Penh, Cambodia — Cambodia says all COVID-19 patients recovered, no new cases for a month
Cambodia's last patient with the new coronavirus has recovered and left the hospital, leaving the Southeast Asian country with zero cases, the health ministry said on Saturday.
No easing of restrictions related to the virus - including school closures and border entry checks and quarantines - were included in the Ministry of Health statement.
Cambodia has reported 122 cases of the virus that causes COVID-19 and no deaths from the disease since it emerged in China. It’s last reported new case was on April 12.
Beaches in France and Italy open for the first weekend since easing of lockdowns
12:45pm — Bangkok, Thailand — Thailand reports no new coronavirus cases, no additional deaths
Thailand on Saturday reported no new coronavirus cases or deaths as the country begins to reopen businesses and ease restrictions.
"Today there are two zeros ... thank you all Thais who have given their cooperation," a spokesman for the government's Centre for COVID-19 said.
This is the second day since March 9 that the country has reported no new daily cases.
12:30pm — Lahore, Pakistan — District administration seals shops for violating lockdown orders
The district administration in Lahore has sealed 58 shops for violating the government’s lockdown orders.
According to DC Lahore, 11 shopkeepers have been arrested for violating lockdown orders.
Watch: Customers at German cafe wear pool noodle hats to maintain social distancing
12:15pm — Karachi, Pakistan — First PIA flight to depart for Lahore at 1pm
The first PIA flight will depart from Karachi for Lahore at 1pm, a spokesperson for the aviation department said.
According to the spokesperson, passengers’ temperature will be checked on arrival at the airport before they board the plane.
The spokesperson added, a three-fee distance must be maintained at the airport at all time. “Airlines have been instructed to distribute face masks and gloves to the passengers,” the spokesperson added.
UK researchers test dogs' ability to sniff out COVID-19
Dogs' ability to sniff out whether people are infected with COVID-19 will be put to the test by British researchers, in a bid to develop a fast, non-invasive means of detecting the disease.
Worrying surge in childhood disease linked to COVID-19
Europe and the United States have seen sharp surges in recent weeks of a severe immune disorder in children linked to COVID-19, health authorities said.
At least five children — three in New York, and one each in France and Britain — have died from the syndrome, and at least two other deaths are suspect.
Europe has seen some 230 suspected cases of so-called paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS) in children up to 14 years old, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said.
Read the full story here.
11:40am — Washington, US — White House adviser says US-China trade deal not falling apart
The US-China "Phase 1" trade deal reached in January is not falling apart and the two countries are still working to implement it, the White House's top economic adviser said on Friday, but President Donald Trump added that he was not "thrilled" with the agreement.
In an interview with Fox Business Network on Thursday, Trump said he was very disappointed with China's failure to contain the coronavirus outbreak and that the pandemic had cast a pall over the trade deal with Beijing that he considers a major achievement.
Larry Kudlow, director of the National Economic Council, was asked if the trade deal was falling apart. "Absolutely not," he said.
The Chinese are working toward holding up their end of the agreement, which calls for Beijing to boost purchases of American farm goods, manufactured products, energy and services by $200 billion over two years, Kudlow said.
11:30am — New Delhi, India — India's coronavirus infections surpass China
Watch: Oxford vaccine to treat COVID-19 shows promising results in test of six monkeys
11:10am — Peshawar, Pakistan — Senior LRH doctor resigns over lack of resources, inadequate facilities at hospital
A senior doctor at Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) has resigned citing a lack of resources and inadequate facilities at the hospital for the staff.
According to the doctor, the healthcare facility is not equipped to tackle the influx of coronavirus patients and that there are minimal resources for the staff working in the intensive care units (ICU).
The doctor added, there were running the ICU with hardly any staff.
Hospital authorities have said that they are in discussion with the doctor.
“We have not accepted Dr Ayesha’s resignation,” an LHR spokesperson said, adding that the hospital’s ICU was equipped with the latest equipment.
German football returns under intense scrutiny
Football in Germany returns to the pitch today as the Bundesliga becomes the first of Europe’s top leagues to swing back into action since the coronavirus lockdown.
The stadiums will be empty and silent except for the players’ shouts and the referees’ whistles as Borussia Dortmund take on local rivals Schalke 04 in the Ruhr Derby today.
10:50am — Lahore, Pakistan — Staying at home only way to stem the spread of virus: CM Punjab
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has said they were trying to their best to make sure the public was following the social distancing rules as it was the only way to stem the spread of the virus.
“Staying at home is the only to mitigate the mitigate the coronavirus's impact,” he said.
He added the government was aware of the situation arising as a result of the virus. “We decided to ease the lockdown after taking a look at the economic hardships faced by the common man.”
“The danger of the virus is still around, everyone needs to take precautions and show responsibility,” Buzdar added.
US could hit 100,000 deaths within weeks: CDC
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said the number of deaths in the US is projected to exceed 100,000 by 1 June.
10:30am — Islamabad, Pakistan — ECC approves cash assistance for labourers
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has approved a Rs75bn emergency cash assistance package for labourers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to which they will be provided Rs12,000.
The ECC in its meeting at the Cabinet Division on Friday approved the Emergency Cash Assistance (Criteria and Mechanism) to the labourers. The announcement had been made earlier by PM Imran and only required the formal approval of the ECC.
The prime minister on May 3, had announced that the funds collected through PM’s COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Assistance Fund 2020 will be used to assist the labourers whose livelihood has been affected.
Read the full story here.
Watch: Pandas keep diners company in Bangkok as restaurant practices social dancing
10:15am — Washington, US — US House passes $3 trillion coronavirus aid bill
The US House of Representatives on Friday passed a $3 trillion Democratic bill aimed at salving the heavy human and economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 85,000 Americans and shut much of the economy.
The bill, crafted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her fellow Democrats, passed mostly along party lines in a 208-199 vote.
But Republicans, who control the Senate, have promised it will be "dead on arrival" in their chamber.
Global coronavirus cases cross 4.5 million: AFP tally
US COVID-19 death toll rises to 87,493
9:45am — Islamabad, Pakistan — Limited flight domestic flight operations to resume from today
Limited domestic flight operations will resume in the country from today after the government decided to let five major airports resume operations.
The five airports will be Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta. Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that strict SOPs will be enforced to ensure safety of passengers and crew.
The authority said that no visitors shall be allowed at the airports and the drivers will have to stay inside the vehicles.
9:30am — Islamabad, Pakistan — Islamabad reports 55 new cases
Confirmed cases in the country rose to 38,799 after new cases were reported in Islamabad.
According to the national dashboard, 55 new cases were detected in the federal capital in the last 24 hours, taking the city’s tally of confirmed cases to 921.
9:15am — Berlin, Germany — Confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 620 to 173,772
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 620 to 173,772, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Saturday.
The reported death toll rose by 57 to 7,881, the tally showed.
9:00am — Beijing, China — China reports 8 new COVID-19 cases, up from 4 a day earlier
Mainland China reported eight new confirmed COVID-19 cases for May 15, up from four the previous day, the National Health Commission (NHC) said in a statement on Saturday.
The number of new asymptomatic cases of the coronavirus rose to 13 from 11, the NHC said.
The number of confirmed cases in the mainland stands at 82,941 and the death toll at 4,633.
8:45am — Washington, US — Trump says considering making vaccine available free of charge
US President Donald Trump said on Friday he was looking at possibly making a coronavirus vaccine available free of charge.
"We're looking at that, actually," Trump said when asked by a reporter at the White House whether a vaccine would be free.
8:35am — Washington, US — Trump administration to restore partial funding to WHO: Fox News
US President Donald Trump's administration is set to restore partial funding to the World Health Organisation, Fox News reported late on Friday, citing a draft letter
The Trump administration will "agree to pay up to what China pays in assessed contributions" to the WHO, Fox News reported, quoting from the letter.
Trump suspended US contributions to the WHO on April 14, accusing it of promoting China's "disinformation" about the coronavirus outbreak and saying his administration would launch a review of the organisation. WHO officials denied the claims and China has insisted it was transparent and open.
The United States was the WHO's biggest donor. If the US matches China's contribution, as the Fox report adds, its new funding level will be about one-tenth of its previous funding amount of about $400 million per year.
8:20am — Brasilia, Brazil — Brazil registers new daily record of 15,305 coronavirus cases
Brazil confirmed 15,305 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday, a record for 24 hours, as well as 824 related deaths, according to data from the Health Ministry.
Brazil has registered 218,223 confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic and 14,817 deaths.
6:35pm/May 15 — Karachi, Pakistan — Minister says cannot allow public transport on roads
Sindh minister Owais Shah has said that while respecting the request of the prime minister, the provincial government cannot allow public transport on roads.
He said the cases are rising on a daily basis and SOPs are not being followed.
5:50pm/May 15 — Islamabad, Pakistan — PM Imran says situation under control in country
Prime Minister Imran Khan said the situation is under control across the country, warning in the same vein that the number of cases will inevitably rise.
PM Imran said that according to an earlier official projection, the number of cases was 52,695 until May 14.
The number of deaths were estimated to be 1,324 until the mid of May, said the prime minister.
Meanwhile, the prime minister said that due to the effective planning by the government, the rates of daily use items will not rise in Ramadan.
