Coronavirus updates, June 8: Latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic from Pakistan and around the world
Nationwide confirmed cases jump past 104,000, death toll crosses 2,060; global death toll tops 400,000
Updated Monday Jun 08 2020
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 106,398 on Monday after new infections were confirmed in the country.
The province-wise break up of the total number of cases as of 11:42pm, June 8, is as follows:
Total confirmed cases: 106,398
• Sindh: 38,108
• Punjab: 40,819
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 14,006
• Balochistan: 6,788
• Islamabad Capital Territory: 5,329
• Gilgit-Baltistan: 952
• AJK: 396
Deaths: 2,142
• Punjab: 683
• Sindh: 773
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 587
• Balochistan: 54
• Gilgit-Baltistan: 14
• Islamabad Capital Territory: 52
• AJK: 8
More than 7.1 million people have been reported infected with the novel coronavirus globally and over 403,000 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
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 JUNE 9
Live updates for June 10 to begin here.
11:59pm — Copenhagen, Denmark — Public gatherings of of 200 to be allowed in August
Denmark plans to lift the limit on public gatherings from 50 to 100 people in July and to 200 in August as it eases measures to curb the spread of coronavirus, the government said, Reuters reported.
Earlier on Monday, the government raised the limit on public gatherings from 10 to 50 and allowed fitness centres and public swimming pools to reopen.
The government said its plan to allow groups of 100 and 200 to gather from July 8 and Aug. 8 respectively, could be changed depending on a possible second wave of coronavirus in the country.
11:57pm — Madrid, Spain — 'A dream come true' as visitors return to Spanish nursing home
The sounds of tears and laughter rang through the Casaverde nursing home in Navalcarnero outside Madrid, as residents received their first visitors since the facility was locked down in March, Reuters reported.
Facing each other from opposite ends of two large tables pushed together to ensure adequate distancing, Pepa Plaza and her mother Josefa Vila enjoyed an emotional reunion.
“I knew she was OK from the video chats, but now I’ve seen her,” said Plaza from behind a mask. “The only thing missing is I can’t go over and give her a kiss.”
Her mother smiled as a nurse showed a video of her grandchildren back home in the kitchen.
“It’s like a dream come true,” said Vila. “Because of course you’re far away you can’t see them. You worry could they have fallen, could something have happened to them?”
Before being allowed inside, visitors must sign a declaration saying they do not have coronavirus symptoms and have not come into contact with anybody who has. Staff members then take their temperature and disinfect their hands and shoes.
Once inside, visitors must remain two metres away from their elderly relatives.
11:51pm — Beijing, China — China demands proof from US senator for COVID-19 accusation
China challenged US Senator Rick Scott to show evidence supporting his accusation that Beijing is trying to slow down or sabotage the development of a COVID-19 vaccine by Western countries, Reuters reported.
“Since this lawmaker said he has evidence that China is trying to sabotage western countries in their vaccine development, then please let him present the evidence. There’s no need to be shy,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily briefing in response to the Republican senator’s comments to BBC TV.
Scott declined to give details of the evidence when asked during the interview on Sunday but said it had come through the intelligence community.
“China does not want us ... to do it first, they have decided to be an adversary to Americans and I think to democracy around the world,” he told the BBC.
11:42pm — Lahore, Pakistan — Punjab reports more than 1,000 infections, 58 deaths
11:35pm — Gilgit, Pakistan — Services and General Administration Department bans entry of people without masks
11:27pm — Bogota, Colombia — Private planes take to the sky to ferry coronavirus tests from isolated Colombia
“This is HK4679 G on a humanitarian flight between La Primavera and Cumaribo, transporting COVID-19 tests at 3,500 feet,” Ernesto Perez radioed to a nearby military base as he piloted his twin-engine plane above Colombia’s wide eastern plains, Reuters reported.
Perez, who works in financial technology, requested permission to detour to avoid storm clouds, guiding the disinfected aircraft to one of the Andean country’s remotest towns.
He is among about 100 owners of private aircraft who answered a call from President Ivan Duque to help transport doctors and medical supplies to the farthest-flung areas of Colombia.
Without the planes it would be impossible to get coronavirus tests from rural areas to urban labs before samples are damaged. Duque has called the pilots “silent heroes.”
Read complete story here.
11:20pm — The Hague, Netherlands — Dutch protesters demand end to fur farming after coronavirus outbreak
More than 100 people calling for an end to fur farming protested in front of the Dutch parliament on Monday following an outbreak of coronavirus on mink farms that has led to a cull of tens of thousands of the animals, Reuters reported.
The protesters, many wearing face masks with animal rights slogans, held images of mink in cages and called on the government to move a 2024 ban on fur farms forward and close them immediately.
Coronavirus has been found on 10 of the 140 remaining Dutch mink farms.
The government last week ordered mink on all infected farms to be killed over fears they could act as a long-term reservoir of the disease for humans.
11:13pm — Lockdowns saved many lives and easing them is risky, say scientists
Lockdowns imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 have saved millions of lives and easing them now carries high risks, according to two international studies published, Reuters reported.
“The risk of a second wave happening if all interventions and all precautions are abandoned is very real,” Samir Bhatt, who co-led one of the studies by researchers at Imperial College London, told reporters in a briefing.
Most European nations, worried about the economic impact of their lockdowns, have started to ease restrictions as the number of new COVID-19 cases falls.
The Imperial study analysed the impact of lockdowns and social distancing steps in 11 European countries and found they had “a substantial effect”, helping to lower the infection’s reproductive rate, or R value, below one by early May.
11:06pm — Quetta, Pakistan — Balochistan reports 272 new cases, four more deaths
Why Animal Crossing is the game of COVID-19 era
10:52pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh's coronavirus cases at a glance
10:45pm — Vienna, Austria — Lufthansa's Austrian arm gets 450 million euro government bailout
Austria is granting Lufthansa’s Austrian Airlines unit a 450 million euro ($508 million) bailout that will protect Vienna as a transit hub and safeguard “the bulk” of the flag carrier’s 7,000 jobs, the government said, Reuters reported.
The deal comprises 300 million euros in loans by a banking consortium, 90% of which will be guaranteed by the state, and 150 million euros in grants, ministers told a news conference, confirming what sources told Reuters earlier in the day.
The deal includes a 10-year guarantee that Vienna will grow in proportion to the Lufthansa group’s other hubs, so that it is not disadvantaged in relation to rivals such as Munich in Germany or Zurich in Switzerland.
10:39pm — Yerevan, Armenia — PM sacks army, police and security chiefs over COVID-19 curbs
Armenia’s prime minister sacked the heads of the army, police and national security service, saying they had set a bad example over coronavirus restrictions, Reuters reported.
Nikol Pashinyan did not spell out what they had done, but the announcement came after a newspaper said the army’s Chief of the General Staff, Artak Davtyan, had held a party for his son’s wedding on Sunday at a time when mass gatherings are banned.
“It’s the high-ranking officials who must show the importance of following anti-epidemic rules with their own example ... However, sometimes the opposite happens,” Pashinyan said at a meeting, after announcing the sackings on Facebook.
The newspaper, Hraparak, posted a video online showing the entrance to Davtyan’s house, with cars parked outside and the sound of music in the background.
The report did say who else was at the party and did not mention the chief of police, Arman Sargsyan, or National Security Service chief, Eduard Martirosyan, who were also dismissed.
10:32pm — Gilgit, Pakistan — GB's district wise cases
10:25pm — Brussels, Belgium — Belgians return to bars and restaurants but not without virus fears
Sitting at the Roy d’Espagne terrace on the Grand Place in Brussels, Ian Panne enjoyed his first beer in a restaurant after Belgium eased almost 12 weeks of coronavirus lockdown.
“I would never have thought that having a beer on the Grand Place would be so emotional,” Panne, a 48-year-old antiques dealer, told Reuters.
Belgium allowed almost all businesses to reopen on Monday, including bars and restaurants, but social distancing measures must remain.
At the Roy d’Espagne restaurant, one table in two is left empty and customers have to scan a QR code for the menu. Waiters are protected by masks or plastic shields.
That has not deterred 39-year-old Caroline Michils, who said the measures were for everyone’s safety.
In contrast, Florence Vandenhoeck, 68, said the masks and the emptiness of the Grand Place, usually packed with tourists, were a frightening sight.
Read complete story here.
10:20pm — Gilgit, Pakistan — GB reports one death, more than 15 cases
10:08pm — Rome, Italy — 65 coronavirus deaths reported
Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 65 on Monday against 53 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the daily tally of new cases rose to 280 from 197, Reuters reported.
The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21 now stands at 33,964, the agency said, the fourth highest in the world after those of the United States, Brazil and Britain.
The number of confirmed cases amounts to 235,278, the seventh highest global tally behind those of the United States, Russia, Brazil, Spain, Britain and India.
People registered as currently carrying the illness fell to 34,730 from 35,262 the day before.
9:48pm — Johannesburg, S. Africa — Schools reopen as parents worry about safeguards
Children began returning to classrooms in South Africa as part of a gradual loosening of COVID-19 restrictions, even as some parents worried not enough had been done to guard against infections, Reuters reported.
The resumption of the school year had been delayed after teachers’ unions urged school staff to defy an order to return to work last week, saying schools did not have enough masks, gloves and other equipment.
But the biggest union dropped its objections and Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said on Sunday that ramped-up efforts to equip schools meant 95% of primary and secondary schools could now host classes.
As children trickled through the gates of Zithathele Primary School in Soweto, a working-class township outside Johannesburg, staff took their temperatures at a makeshift check-point.
Read complete story here.
9:35pm — Google Maps to alert users about COVID-19-related travel restrictions
Google is adding features on its Maps service to alert users about COVID-19-related travel restrictions to help them plan their trips better, the Alphabet Inc unit said, Reuters reported.
The update would allow users to check how crowded a train station might be at a particular time, or if buses on a certain route are running on a limited schedule, Google said.
The transit alerts would be rolled out in Argentina, France, India, Netherlands, the United States and United Kingdom among other countries, the company said here in a blog post.
The new features would also include details on COVID-19 checkpoints and restrictions on crossing national borders, starting with Canada, Mexico and the United States.
9:22pm — Geneva, Switzerland — WHO head urges world not to let up on COVID battle
The World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries on Monday to press on with efforts to contain the novel coronovirus, noting the pandemic was worsening globally and had not peaked in central America.
“More than six months into the pandemic this is not the time for any country to take its foot off the pedal,” WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told an online briefing.
His top emergencies expert, Dr Mike Ryan, said cases of infection in central American countries were still on the rise.
“I think this is a time of great concern,” he said, calling for strong government leadership and international support for the region.
9:12pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — FM Qureshi exchanges view over COVID-19 with Irish counterpart
Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi held a telephone conversation with the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ireland, Simon Coveney, on a range of issues including the COVID-19 pandemic situation, cooperation at the multilateral fora, and the prospects for enhanced bilateral cooperation, a statement from the Foreign Office said.
Underscoring that the pandemic was the gravest challenge to confront humanity in a century, the Foreign Minister offered condolences over loss of precious lives, and commended the effective measures being taken by Ireland to contain the outbreak. He briefed his Irish counterpart about the latest situation of the pandemic in Pakistan and steps taken by the Government of Pakistan to contain its spread.
The two foreign ministers agreed that working together is the best way forward to fight the pandemic.
9:05pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — NCOC to increase up to 1000 beds
NCOC is set to bring in an additional 1,000 additional oxygenated beds for enhancement of critical health care system in major cities across the country by end of June.
NCOC will ensure fast track approval for enhancing health care capacity particularly critical healthcare, a statement from the centre said.
8:58pm — Lahore, Pakistan — Jinnah Hospital unable to test patients today
Doctors and patients unable to get tested for coronavirus as Lahore's Jinnah Hospital did not have enough testing kits, DA Information Secretary doctor Ubaid said.
"We received only 70 kits today," he said, adding: "Patients are more, while the kits are less."
8:50pm — World Bank says pandemic caused broadest collapse of global economy since 1870
8:39pm — Muzaffargarh, Pakistan — Eleven medical workers test positive for COVID-19
Pakistan Medical Association said six doctors and five nurses have been infected with the coronavirus.
The medical association demanded that doctors should be sent on a two-week quarantine after serving for a week.
If the policy is not agreed upon, then several of the medical workers will be forced into quarantine.
8:29pm — London, UK — British Oil Giant BP Says To Cut 10,000 Jobs
British energy giant BP announced plans to axe "close to 10,000 jobs", or almost 15 percent of its global workforce, after the coronavirus pandemic slashed demand for oil, AFP reported.
"We will now begin a process that will see close to 10,000 people leaving BP — most by the end of this year," chief executive Bernard Looney said in a staff email seen by media that noted oil prices had plunged "well below the level" the group needed "to turn a profit".
8:22pm — Minsk, Belarus — Paramedic provides lifeline to villagers in remote areas
8:15pm — Generation Z come delay life plans amid coronavirus
8:09pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Disinfection rounds kick off in the capital
8:00pm — Quetta, Balochistan — Marriage halls should be opened: Marriage halls associations
Marriage Halls associations leader demanded that their business be reopened as the cases surged in the country.
"If our demand are not met in 15 days, then we will stage a demonstration in front of chief minister house," he said.
7:51pm — Quetta, Pakistan — Task force meets to revamp efforts in spreading awareness
7:45pm — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — Brazil sows further confusion by releasing contradictory sets of COVID-19 data
After removing cumulative numbers for how many people have died in Brazil of coronavirus from a national website, the government sowed further confusion and controversy by releasing two contradictory sets of figures for the latest tally of infection cases and fatalities, Reuters reported.
Initially, data sent to journalists by the ministry on Sunday evening said Brazil now had a total death toll of 37,312 and total cases of 685,427. That meant, although the ministry did not break out these daily numbers, that in the previous 24 hours the country had registered 1,382 new deaths and 12,581 new cases.
But later on Sunday, the ministry updated its online data portal with completely different figures. The government website that publishes coronavirus data put the day’s dead at 525 and new cases at 18,912. It did not publish a cumulative total.
7:39pm — Quetta, Pakistan — Balochistan urges people to follow SOPs to finish lockdown
7:32pm — Tehran, Iran — Government urges people to wear face masks amid fears of new coronavirus wave
Iran’s health ministry urged people on Monday to wear face masks in public areas, state television reported, following warnings that the Islamic Republic could face a new wave of coronavirus infections, Reuters reported.
Health officials said last week there could be a second, stronger wave of novel coronavirus infections if people ignored social distancing rules.
Iran’s death toll from the coronavirus reached 8,351 on Monday, with 70 deaths in the previous 24 hours, health ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said. The number of new cases had dipped to 2,043, he said, bringing the total to 173,832.
“Everyone should wear masks when attending public places like shops or any other places where fully observing social distancing is not possible,” Jahanpur said.
7:26pm — Washington, US — FDA authorises COVID-19 saliva test by Phosphorus Diagnostics
The US Food and Drug Administration on Monday allowed emergency use of a COVID-19 saliva test made by privately held Phosphorus Diagnostics LLC that allows people to send in their saliva samples to the company’s laboratory for testing, Reuters reported.
The company’s sample collection kit, priced at around $140, would be delivered to customers if they are found eligible after completing an online questionnaire.
Test results are expected to be made available within 72 hours after the company’s laboratory in Secaucus, New Jersey gets the sample, Phosphorus said.
The United States has been working to increase its testing capacity as it grapples with a jump in infections in the midst of efforts to reopen the economy.
Phosphorus’ saliva sample collection kit is the second to be approved by the FDA, according to the company.
7:15pm — London, UK — COVID-19 death toll grows by 55: lowest rise since March 22
The United Kingdom’s death toll from confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose by 55 to 40,597 as of 1600 GMT on June 7, the lowest rise since a lockdown was imposed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in March, according to government data published, Reuters reported.
The last time such a low daily increase was reported was on March 22, when the toll rose by 35, according to government data. Johnson imposed a stringent lockdown on the United Kingdom the next day.
A broader measure of the death toll which includes suspected cases, shows the United Kingdom’s death is likely to be above 50,000, according to a Reuters tally of official data sources.
That makes the United Kingdom the second worst-hit country in the world, according to official statistics, after the United States.
7:05pm — Madrid, Spain — Back to school for some, clubbing for others as restrictions loosen
Pupils returned to school in some areas of Spain and nightclubs opened in others in a further easing of the country’s coronavirus lockdown, Reuters reported.
Some schools in the capital Madrid reopened for primary pupils on Monday and seniors preparing for university-entrance exams will return on Tuesday. Other regions are allowing different age groups to return.
Children across the country were granted the right to play outside at any time of day, offering some relief after months spent indoors. A recent study showed nearly one in six children has felt regularly depressed during the crisis.
Nightclubs reopened in much of Spain though a widely mocked ban on dancing will be enforced to prevent infections.
Bullfights are also permitted, but with attendance capped at 400, “corridas” are financially unviable for now.
6:59pm — Moscow, Russia — Moscow lifts coronavirus lockdown
Moscow is lifting its months-long coronavirus lockdown, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, declaring that the pandemic was on the wane and it was possible to resume normal life during the course of June, Reuters reported.
Sobyanin’s comments came shortly after Russia announced a partial reopening of its borders, saying it would allow people who needed to work, study, get medical treatment or look after relatives to travel abroad for the first time since late March.
“The pandemic has slowly but steadily been on the wane for several weeks,” Sobyanin wrote on his personal blog. “Moscow can practically get back to its usual rhythm of life.”
6:53pm — Peshawar, Pakistan — Changes in small habits can hep defeat coronavirus
6:45pm — London, UK — Quarantine will be quashed or dropped: Ryanair's O'Leary
The United Kingdom’s coronavirus quarantine will be struck down by the courts or dropped within weeks as some of Europe’s biggest airlines prepare to file a legal challenge by the end of Tuesday, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary told Reuters.
The 14-day quarantine for international arrivals, introduced on Monday, has led to the most vociferous clash between a major industry and Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government during the COVID-19 crisis.
By insisting on the quarantine despite public pleas from airline veterans such as IAG’s Willie Walsh and O’Leary, Britain has united some of the fiercest rivals in aviation who are already reeling from a sudden global halt in air travel.
Ryanair Group Chief Executive Michael O’Leary told Reuters he hoped a court would hear an emergency legal challenge by the end of this week to halt the quarantine - imposed just as most European countries were reopening their economies.
“I think in their heart of hearts, the government would like the courts to strike it down because it would get them off the hook,” O’Leary said in a Reuters TV interview. “I think either the courts will strike it down this week or the government will quietly drop it before the end of June.”
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UNDP's Digital Hackathon aims to find solutions to climate change disasters, COVID-19
A “Master the Disaster” Digital Hackathon for Disaster Risk Reduction was held to generate innovative ideas related to preparedness and response for climate change-induced disasters and pandemic crises such as COVID-19.
The two-day hackathon, which was attended by more than 70 participants from private and public sectors, development sector, and the provincial government, saw teams working with experts in the fields of technology, entrepreneurship, public health, and climate change.
Chief Technical Advisor, Climate Change and Resilience Abduvakkos Abdurahmanov who welcomed the participants on behalf of UNDP said that Sindh was particularly vulnerable to a range of natural hazards, such as droughts, floods, and heatwaves.
“We cannot stop natural events from happening, but the current crisis has shown that we can prepare better so that vulnerable populations are better protected,” he added.
Read complete story here.
6:28pm — Peshawar, Pakistan — KP reports 12 deaths, 519 new infections
6:20pm — Dhaka, Bangladesh — Police attend yoga session to boost immunity
6:04pm — New Delhi, India — Bodybuilders call for reopening of gyms
5:54pm — Wellington, New Zealand — Ardern dances for joy after New Zealand eliminates coronavirus
New Zealand lifted all social and economic restrictions except border controls after declaring it was free of the coronavirus, one of the first countries in the world to return to pre-pandemic normality, Reuters reported.
Public and private events, the retail and hospitality industries and all public transport were allowed to resume without the distancing rules still in place across much of the world.
“While the job is not done, there is no denying this is a milestone ... Thank you, New Zealand,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a news conference, saying she had danced for joy at the news.
“We are confident we have eliminated transmission of the virus in New Zealand for now, but elimination is not a point in time, it is a sustained effort.”
5:49pm — Ankara, Turkey — Turkish automotive production plunges 54% in May: association
Production in Turkey’s automotive sector plunged 54% year-on-year in May, the Automotive Industry Association (OSD) said, Reuters reported.
In the January-May period, production dropped 34%, it said.
5:43pm — Lockdowns may have averted 3 million deaths in Europe by curbing COVID-19: study
Wide-scale lockdowns including shop and school closures have reduced COVID-19 transmission rates in Europe enough to control its spread and may have averted more than three million deaths, researchers said, Reuters reported.
In a modelling study of lockdown impact in 11 nations, Imperial College London scientists said the draconian steps, imposed mostly in March, had “a substantial effect” and helped bring the infection’s reproductive rate below one by early May.
The reproduction rate, or R value, measures the average number of people that one infected person will pass the disease on to. An R value above 1 can lead to exponential growth.
The Imperial team estimated that by early May, between 12 and 15 million people in the 11 countries - Austria, Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland - had been infected with COVID-19.
By comparing the number of deaths counted with deaths predicted by their model if no lockdown measures had been introduced, they found some 3.1 million deaths were averted.
Read complete story here.
5:36pm — Europe wants to make its own drugs, but it needs American blood plasma
Europe wants to be master of its own destiny in producing essential drugs and finding COVID-19 treatments, but it’s got a problem. It relies on the United States for a critical ingredient: blood plasma.
As global mistrust deepens, European Union officials are casting around for ways to reduce the bloc’s dependence on American plasma, the liquid component of blood used in a host of drugs and now widely applied in COVID-19 experimental therapies.
The coronavirus crisis should push authorities to overhaul Europe’s blood donation system, according to some industry players. The United States’ steadier plasma supplies are partly due to its system of paying people to donate blood used to develop medicines. In most European countries, donations are unpaid because of safety and ethical reasons.
A strategy for “achieving EU sufficiency” on plasma was discussed at an extraordinary COVID-19 meeting of blood experts organised last week by the European Commission, the EU executive arm, according to the meeting’s agenda.
Read complete story here.
5:28pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Crack downs on safety breaches, coronavirus cases top 100,000
Authorities in Pakistan have stepped up enforcement of government safety measures after a rise in the daily number of coronavirus infections pushed total cases to more than 100,000, Reuters reported.
Planning Minister Asad Umar, who is in charge of the national response to the pandemic, told a weekend news conference that many markets and shops had been sealed because of non-compliance over the last few days.
“First we educated the masses about the protocols, then we warned them, and now, in the last meeting with the prime minister in the chair, we directed administrations to crack down on places protocols are not being followed,” he said.
Of 23,000 daily tests, more than 1 in 5 have been positive over the last 10 days. Before the lockdown was lifted on May 9, the number of tests finding the coronavirus was approximately 1 in 10, government statistics show.
Government officials say safety protocols are not being followed, particularly since just before the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
5:18pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Country to hit virus peak till end of July: PM Imran
Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the coronavirus cases in the country would hit the peak at the end of July or in August, appealing to the nation to follow safety measures.
He said that all the people should wear masks, as 50% of the virus's spread could be by wearing it.
"If we do not take precautionary measures, we will cause harm to the country," he said.
Government will bring in 1,000 beds to reduce the pressure on the health facilities.
"Through a lockdown we can only mitigate the virus, not eradicate it," he added.
5:11pm — Larkana, Pakistan — Inmates protest after virus cases emerge in Central Jail
Prisoners in Larkana's Central Jail protested after virus cases emerged and took four police officers hostage, jail superintendent Mumtaz Awan said.
The police official said that 77 inmates had got themselves tested for the virus.
So far, 33 results have come back out of which, eight inmates tested positive along with a jailer.
All eight of the prisoners have been shifted into quarantine, said Awan.
Meanwhile, the prisoners demanded that they shouldn't be sent into barracks as the virus was spreading.
4:45pm - Islamabad, Pakistan — Officials brief PM Imran on coronavirus situation
Prime Minister Imran Khan is being briefed by officials regarding the increase in Pakistan’s testing capacity and the smart lockdown being implemented in the country.
During the meeting, the PM asked the officials to ensure that the safety measures are followed and all businesses follow the SOPs. The meeting was attended by SAPM Asim Saleem Bajwa, Shehbaz Gill, Zafar Mirza and federal minister Asad Umar.
4:20pm - Moscow, Russia —Russia reopens borders for its nationals to work, study and get treatment abroad
Russians needing to work, study or care for relatives abroad are to be allowed to resume international travel for the first time since late March, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Monday, announcing some coronavirus restrictions would be eased.
The city of Moscow will also roll back curbs imposed over the virus from Tuesday, including cancelling a digital pass system for residents and a self-isolation regime, the TASS news agency reported separately.
Muscovites will be able to go out for walks whenever they want from Tuesday, TASS said, and restaurants and cafes in the Russian capital will be allowed to open their summer verandas from June 16.
Russia continues to report thousands of new infections daily, with its nationwide tally now at 476,658, the third-highest in the world, but the number of cases in Moscow, the original epicentre of the virus, has fallen sharply.
4:00pm - Actor Vasay Chaudhry tests positive for virus
3:50pm - New Delhi, India — Mask-wearing worshippers in temples as India reopens amid rise in coronavirus cases
India reopened shopping malls and restaurants on Monday and people trickled into temples and mosques wearing masks even as the country added a record number of infections in a single day and was closing in on Spain and the United Kingdom’s caseload.
After imposing a severe lockdown in March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is under pressure to fully open up the economy and get people back to work to prevent mass distress.
Strict guidelines have been issued for the opening up of public places and offices to prevent a further surge of infections in the world’s second-most populous country.
Worshippers wore masks, stood 6 feet (2 metres) part and went through thermal scanners at Hindu temples in the capital city and elsewhere in the country that are usually filled to capacity.
India’s total number of coronavirus cases reached 256,611, the health ministry said, just behind Spain after a record one-day jump of 9,983 infections.
Only the United States, Brazil, Russia and the United Kingdom have more cases, and health experts say India’s peak could still be weeks away, if not months.
3:30pm - Islamabad, Pakistan — SC takes back decision to keep markets open on weekends
The Supreme Court on Monday took back its decision to reopen markets on the weekend as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise across the country.
The decision was announced by the apex court during a hearing of the suo motu case regarding measures taken against the virus outbreak today.
“Coronavirus does not differentiate between provinces. The federal government needs to take a lead on this and needs to come up with laws regarding this,” said the top court.
Read more here.
3:20pm - Govt issues updated schedule for flights
3:00pm - Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh health minister asks provincial assembly speaker to bar entry of lawmakers over the age of 55
Sindh Health Minister Azra Pechuho has asked Assembly speaker Agha Siraj Durrani to bar lawmakers over the age of 55 from attending the sessions.
The minister, in a letter, told the speaker that SOP guidelines have been provided by CM Sindh and warned that those diagnosed with diabetes and other disease are more susceptible to the virus.
“It should be made compulsory for assembly members to wears masks and follow SOPs,” said the minister.
2:45pm - Islamabad, Pakistan — PID shuts down after four employees test positive for virus
The Press Information Department has been closed after four employees tested positive for the virus, said a circular issued by the department.
The circular has ordered all PID employees to work from home.
2:20pm - Rome, Italy —Italy statistics bureau forecasts GDP to fall 8.3% in 2020 on coronavirus hit
The Italian economy, brought to its knees by the coronavirus, will contract by around 8.3% this year, national statistics bureau ISTAT said on Monday.
In its twice-yearly economic outlook report, ISTAT slashed its forecast from a projection of 0.6% growth made in December last year, before the start of Italy’s virus outbreak.
The epidemic has killed almost 34,000 people in Italy since it came to light on February 21, the fourth highest death toll in the world.
A government lockdown to curb contagion shuttered the majority of factories and services for most of March and April.
“This year the GDP fall will be determined mainly by the drop domestic demand net of inventories,” ISTAT said, projecting that household spending would fall 8.7% and investments would collapse by 12.5%.
2:05pm - Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh govt to expand HDU's in Karachi: sources
The Sindh government has decided to increase high dependency units (HDUs) in Karachi, sources familiar with the matter told Geo News.
Sources said six ventilators and a 150-bed HDU will be set up at the field hospital at the Expo centre, while a 100-bed HDU was being set up at the Jinnah Hospital.
A 100-bed HDU will be set up at Qatar hospital and an additional 40-bed HDU will be set up at the Lyari General Hospital, sources said, adding the provincial government will also add a 100-bed HDU at Korangi number 5 hospital and a 50-bed HDU in the SITE area.
The officials assured that the projects will be completed by the end of June and work was being done very quickly due to the rising number of cases in Karachi.
1:40pm - Beijing, China — China says US Senator Scott should present evidence of COVID-19 wrongdoing
China said on Monday that U.S. Senator Rick Scott should present the evidence for his accusation that Beijing is trying to slow down or sabotage the development of a COVID-19 vaccine by western countries.
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the remarks during a daily briefing on Monday, responding to the Republican senator’s comments during an interview on BBC TV.
Scott declined to give details on the evidence when asked during the interview but said it had come through the intelligence community.
1:25pm - Islamabad, Pakistan — Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid, MNA Jai Prakesh test positive for COVID-19
Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad has tested positive for COVID-19, the railways ministry said on Monday.
According to a statement by the ministry, Rashid is showing no symptoms of the virus. However, he has undergone self-isolation for two weeks, the ministry added.
Earlier in the day, PTI MNA Jai Prakash who attended the National Assembly session last week has tested positive for coronavirus on Monday.
12:50pm - Doctor surprises COVID-19 patient with cake on his birthday
12:40pm - Islamabad, Pakistan — NCOC decides to increase 1000 beds with oxygen supply in major cities: Asad Umar
12:20pm - Johannesburg, South Africa — Schools re-open in South Africa after initial delay
Children in South Africa began returning to classrooms on Monday as part of a gradual loosening of restrictions imposed under a months-long COVID-19 lockdown in the continent’s most industrialised nation.
The re-opening of schools had been delayed after teachers’ unions urged school staff to defy the government order last week, saying schools lacked sufficient health and hygiene measures to keep educators and pupils safe.
South Africa has counted nearly 50,000 cases of the new coronavirus — the most of any country in sub-Saharan Africa — along with almost 1,000 deaths.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said on Sunday that ramped up efforts to equip schools over the past week meant that 95% of South Africa’s primary and secondary schools were now able to host classes.
“The golden rule is there will be no school that will resume if not ready to do so,” Motshekga said.
The government will find alternative arrangements for pupils at schools unable to open on Monday, she said.
Initially, only pupils in grades 7 and 12 will return to class, with other years phased in gradually.
12:00pm - Islamabad, Pakistan — Qureshi pays tribute to Pakistani doctors working abroad
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi paid tribute to the invaluable services rendered by Pakistani doctors and health professionals across the globe, during the ongoing pandemic, reported Radio Pakistan.
Qureshi, while addressing Pakistani community via video link held at town hall in the UAE, praised the overseas Pakistanis efforts for sending remittances after toiling hard in the foreign countries and bolstering the country’s economy.
He also lauded efforts of Pakistan embassy for distribution of ration in Dubai, a step. The minister further said that Pakistan embassy in UAE was facilitating those on priority basis whose visas had been expired.
11:35am - Warsaw, Poland — Poland plans no new restrictions despite hike in coronavirus infections
Polish Deputy Prime Minister Jadwiga Emilewicz said on Monday that she saw no need to introduce new restrictions or re-instate previous ones despite a sudden hike in new infections over the weekend.
“There are no plans to do so today,” Emilewicz told private broadcaster Polsat News.
On Sunday Poland recorded 575 new coronavirus infections, with a similar number reported on Saturday. Sunday’s daily increase brings the total number of people infected in the country to 26,561, with 1,157 deaths.
11:15am - Islamabad, Pakistan — NCOC teams registers over 3,800 SOP violations in last 24 hours
The National Command and Operations Centre reported on Sunday that its teams all over Pakistan registered over 3,800 SOPs violation in the last 24 hours.
The NCOC has formed dedicated teams across all provinces including Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and Islamabad to ensure that health instruction/guidelines are followed.
Crematoriums in New Delhi stuggle to cope with mounting death toll
As we work to end COVID19 pandemic we have an unprecedented opportunity to protect the ocean: UN chief
10:40am - Copenhagen, Denmark — Denmark lifts limit on public gatherings to 50 people from 10
Denmark on Monday lifted the limit on public gatherings to 50 people from 10 as it relaxes measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the ministry of health said.
The restrictions on public gatherings were put in place on March 17.
10:20am - Islamabad, Pakistan — Former PM Abbasi tests positive for virus: Family sources
Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has tested positive, family sources confirmed to Geo News on Monday.
The sources shared that Abbasi has gone into isolation at his home.
10:00am — Islamabad, Pakistan — Death toll climbs to 2,067
Death toll from novel coronavirus climbed to 2,067 in Pakistan after new deaths were reported in the country.
According to the national dashboard, three more deaths were reported in Islamabad.
Overall, 65 new deaths were reported in the country over the last 24 hours.
10:00am — Islamabad, Pakistan — Islamabad, AJK report new cases
Confirmed cases in the country jumped to 103,671 after new cases were reported in Islamabad, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the national dashboard, 350 new cases were reported in Islamabad, 35 new cases in AJK.
As of now, 38,903 cases have been reported in Punjab, 38,108 in Sindh, 13,487 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 6,516 Balochistan, 5,329 Islamabad, 932 Gilgit Baltistan and 396 in Azad Kashmir.
9:50am - Wellington, New Zealand — New Zealand says coronavirus 'eliminated', to lift most curbs
New Zealand has eliminated transmission of the novel coronavirus and will lift all containment measures except for border curbs, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday, making the South Pacific nation one of the first countries to do so.
The government will drop social distancing restrictions form midnight on Monday as it moves to a level 1 national alert from Level 2, Ardern told a news conference.
Public and private events, the retail and hospitality industries and all public transport could resume without social distancing norms still in place across much of the world.
“While we’re in a safer, stronger position there’s still no easy path back to pre-COVID life, but the determination and focus we have had on our health response will now be vested in our economic rebuild,” Ardern said.
“While the job is not done, there is no denying this is a milestone. So can I finish with a very simple ‘Thank you, New Zealand.’”
The South Pacific nation of about 5 million people is emerging from the pandemic while big economies such as Brazil, Britain, India and the United States grapple with the spreading virus.
“We are confident we have eliminated transmission of the virus in New Zealand for now, but elimination is not a point in time, it is a sustained effort,” Ardern added.
There were no active cases for the first time since the virus arrived in New Zealand in late February, the health ministry said. New Zealand has reported 1,154 infections and 22 deaths from the disease.
9:20am — Berlin, Germany — Confirmed coronavirus cases rise to 184,193
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 214 to 184,193, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Monday.
The death toll rose by 6 to 8,674, the tally showed
US coronavirus deaths top 110,000 as cases approach 2 million
The novel coronavirus has killed more than 110,000 people in the United States, according to a Reuters tally.
About 1,000 Americans have died on average each day so far in June, down from a peak of 2,000 a day in April, according to the tally of state and county data on COVID-19 deaths.
Several southern US states reported sharp increases in COVID-19 infections, with Alabama, South Carolina and Virginia all-seeing new cases rise 35% or more in the week ended May 31 compared with the prior week, according to a Reuters analysis.
8:30am — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Coronavirus cases exceed 100,000
The number of coronavirus cases in Saudi Arabia exceeded 100,000 on Sunday as the kingdom struggles to get to grips with a rise in the number of new infections over the past ten days, according to a Reuters tally.
The Saudi Ministry of Health reported 3,045 new cases on Sunday, taking the total to 101,914. The number of new daily cases exceeded 3,000 for the first time on Saturday.
Global coronavirus deaths top 400,000 as outbreak grows
Global deaths from the novel coronavirus topped 400,000, as case numbers surge in Brazil and India, according to a Reuters tally.
The United States is responsible for about one-quarter of all fatalities but deaths in South America are rapidly rising.
South America has the second-largest outbreak with over 15% of cases, according to Reuters tally.
The first COVID-19 death was reported on January 10 in Wuhan, China but it was early April before the death toll passed 100,000, according to the Reuters tally of official reports from governments. It took 24 days to go from 300,000 to 400,000 deaths.
08:30pm/June 7 — Quetta, Pakistan — Balochistan announces resumption of transport services subject to SOPs
07:56pm/June 7 — Peshawar, Pakistan — 'No facemask, no entry', KP government warns hospital goers
7:00pm/June 7 — New Delhi, India — Delhi reserves hospital beds for residents as virus cases surge
The city of New Delhi on Sunday ordered many of its hospital beds to be reserved solely for residents of the Indian capital, as the number of COVID-19 infections continued to surge.
India on Sunday registered 9,971 new coronavirus cases, taking its tally to 246,628 cases, with 6,929 deaths. The case numbers now lag only the United States, Brazil, Russia, United Kingdom and Spain.
New Delhi city alone has registered more than 10% of total cases, making it the third worst-affected part of the country after the western state of Maharashtra, home to financial capital Mumbai, and southern Tamil Nadu state.
