9:55pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh approves Health Risk Allowance for frontline workers 

Sindh approved Health Risk Allowance for frontline workers battling  coronavirus at health facilities and laboratories.

The allowance will be equivalent to basic running pay, the notification said.

9:49pm — Riga, Latvia — Country to open borders to most European countries on Wednesday

Latvia will open its borders to most European countries on Wednesday without requiring visitors to self-isolate as the Baltic nation prepares to exit emergency coronavirus measures, the government said, Reuters reported.

Imposed self-isolation will be scrapped for people arriving from European countries where the infection rate is deemed to be low.

“It means that self-isolation ... will have to be observed only for those travellers who have been in Sweden, the UK, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Ireland or Spain over the past two weeks,” Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins told reporters.

9:43pm — Johannesburg, South Africa — Court rules some lockdown restrictions invalid

South Africa’s cabinet said it was studying a high court judgment declaring some coronavirus restrictions unconstitutional though the lockdown remained in force for now, Reuters reported.

South Africa introduced in March one of the world’s most restrictive coronavirus lockdowns - including a ban on alcohol and cigarette sales - but has been gradually easing restrictions and is currently on the third of five levels.

A group called the Liberty Fighters Network launched a case against the restrictions in May, arguing they were unlawful and violated South Africa’s Bill of Rights.

In a statement, the cabinet said the judge had found in the group’s favour and declared regulations governing lockdown levels 3 and 4 “unconstitutional” and “invalid”.

“The court suspended the declaration of invalidity for a period of 14 days. This means that the Alert Level 3 regulations remain in operation for now,” the statement continued, adding that the cabinet would make a further statement once it had fully studied the judgement.

9:35pm — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — University moots robot graduation ceremonies to cut virus risk

A Malaysian university is considering using robots dressed in gowns and mortarboards to act as stand-ins at graduation ceremonies to prevent coronavirus infections—but students have blown a fuse at the idea.

A video of the planned ceremonies released by the university shows two elegantly attired, waist-high robots being handed diplomas by high-ranking university officials.

The students' faces appear on screens mounted on the robots' heads.

Associate professor Engku Fadzli Hasan Syed Abdullah, the leader of the team at Sultan Zainal Abidin University that made the robots, said Tuesday the idea was to allow students to participate, albeit remotely.

Battle against COVID-19 is not only physical but also psychological': Salman Sufi narrates his ordeal

After contracting the novel coronavirus, the founder of Salman Sufi Foundation and a renowned social activist, Salman Sufi, shared his ordeal of how rapidly the virus is now spreading to even those who are religiously implementing the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Sufi has recently contracted the contagious virus and is under isolation at his home.

"There are two kinds of battles that we fight against the contagion: psychological and physical. In the psychological state, we are in constant disbelief that since we are following and implementing all safety protocols, therefore, we cannot get infected," he explained.

Read complete story here.

9:18pm — Pakistani man attends parents' funeral in Lahore from US home via Zoom

 Gathered together via Zoom, friends and relatives of Wahida and Fazal Rahmaan watched from afar as the beloved couple were buried in Pakistan, days after they were killed in the PIA plane crash.

For many who lost loved ones in the May 22 tragedy, grief has been compounded by the coronavirus, which has made travel to funerals impossible and attendance dangerous.

The Rahmaans — married 53 years — were among 97 people killed when the Pakistan International Airlines Airbus plummeted into a Karachi neighbourhood, killing all but two people on board.

"The most instinctual human response to grief is to hold on to somebody and hug somebody," said Adil Rahman, one of the couple's four sons, who spells his name slightly differently than his parents.

"Covid has stripped us from that."

Read complete story here.

9:11pm — Lahore, Pakistan — Summary sheet of beds and ventilators in various hospitals across Punjab

9:05pm — Tensions rise as countries use tracing apps in fight against pandemic

9:00pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — PIA flights carrying 530 stranded Pakistanis to reach today

Three PIA flights carrying 530 stranded Pakistanis and mortal remains of 16 Pakistani nationals from Riyadh will reach Pakistan, today, a statement from the Foreign Office said.

In their efforts, the Embassy of Pakistan in Riyadh and Consulate General of Pakistan in Jeddah have so far facilitated the repatriation of more than 4,000 Pakistanis, including 480 Umrah Zaireen and 195 detainees.

The Missions are also extending assistance including provision of ration bags to the needy Pakistanis in the Kingdom and coordinating special flights with PIA to facilitate repatriation of stranded Pakistanis.

The Pakistan Missions in Saudi Arabia are in contact with the Pakistani diaspora while extending all possible assistance to them within the constraints of lockdown restrictions and will continue to do so. On the request of the Embassy of Pakistan in Riyadh, the number of special flights to Saudi Arabia has been increased to expedite the repatriation process.

8:53pm — Gilgit, Pakistan — GB's cases at a glance

8:48pm — Gulf countries to experience worst economic crisis in history: IIF

The six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations are facing their worst economic crisis in history amid the double shock of plunging oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic, the Institute of International Finance (IIF) said, Reuters reported.

Overall real gross domestic product (GDP) will contract 4.4% this year, despite some indications that the virus spread has been successfully contained and the easing of some restrictions in recent weeks, said the IIF, a global financial industry body.

Cuts in public spending adopted by regional authorities to contain the widening of their deficits “could more than offset losses stemming from reduced oil exports” but aggregate deficits are still expected to widen to 10.3% of GDP this year from 2.5% in 2019.

The Saudi central bank said yesterday it would inject an additional $13.3 billion into the local banking system to help banks support the private sector, after consumer spending fell sharply in April due to virus containment measures.

8:40pm — Gilgit, Pakistan — GB reports one death, 41 new cases

8:35pm — Jakarta, Indonesia — Indonesia cancels haj pilgrimage over coronavirus concerns

Indonesia has cancelled the haj pilgrimage this year for people in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation due to concerns over the coronavirus, the religious affairs minister said, Reuters reported.

Saudi authorities have already said the haj and umrah pilgrimages — which attract millions of travellers from around the world — will remain suspended until further notice.

Fachrul Razi, Indonesia’s religious affairs minister, said the decision to cancel hajj this year was made due to concerns over the coronavirus and ongoing travel restrictions.

The quota for Indonesian pilgrims this year was 221,000, with more than 90 percent already registered to go, according to the religious affairs ministry website.

READ: Punjab revises lockdown restrictions

Punjab revised lockdown restrictions in the light of federal government's recommendations after which businesses will operate from 9am to 7pm.

Meanwhile, "Educational and training institutions, marriage halls, business centres, expo halls, restaurants (except takeaway and home delivery), theme amusement parks, play areas and arcades, beauty parlors and spas, will remain closed," the notification read.

8:11pm — Dubai, UAE — City to reopen malls and private businesses

Dubai will allow the full reopening of malls and private businesses starting on Wednesday, its media office said, after the gleaming United Arab Emirates business hub began easing restrictions last month, Reuters reported.

Some retail and wholesale businesses reopened in May, subject to sterilisation operations and social distancing, along with cinemas, gyms, ice rinks and its indoor ski slope.

Dubai’s economy, which heavily relies on retail, tourism and hospitality, has suffered from the lockdown and travel restrictions as the coronavirus outbreak spread.

Dubai-based Emirates, which flew to 157 destinations in 83 countries before the pandemic, grounded passenger flights in March and has since operated few, limited services.

8:04pm — Istanbul, Turkey — Turkish Airlines to start flights from 6 European countries on June 18

Turkish Airlines said it will start direct flights from 16 cities in six European countries to 14 cities in Anatolia as of June 18, including new routes it had not flown to before, Reuters reported.

The airline said it will resume international flights from Istanbul on June 10, and the new flights on June 18 will specifically be to Anatolia, the Asian territory which makes up the vast majority of Turkey. The flights are planned with 16 cities in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, and Denmark, it said in a statement

7:58pm — Pfizer to invest up to $500 million in public drug developers

Pfizer Inc said it will invest up to $500 million into publicly traded drug developers to fund their treatment candidates and provide access to the U.S. drugmaker’s scientific expertise, Reuters reported.

Pfizer said it will make non-controlling investments in the biotechs with small- to medium-sized market capitalizations, but did not identify them.

The move comes at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has led drugmakers to delay their clinical trials testing various therapies.

Pfizer said its Breakthrough Growth Initiative program, under which it was making the investment, allows partner companies to access its research, clinical development and manufacturing resources.

7:52pm — Stockholm, Sweden — Swedish coronavirus testing hits record but still far below target

Sweden’s testing for the new coronavirus rose last week to its highest level since the outbreak began but still fell far short of the target, in what has increasingly become a focal point of criticism of the government’s pandemic policy.

Last week 36,500 people in Sweden were tested for the coronavirus, an increase from 29,000 in the preceding week but still less than a government target set in mid-April for 100,000 weekly tests, data from the country’s health authority showed.

The country has tested 275,500 samples since the pandemic began, a much lower rate of testing than in its Nordic neighbours. Denmark has carried out more than double Sweden’s total despite having only half the population.

Unlike much of Europe, most schools, restaurants and businesses have remained open in Sweden, with authorities relying on voluntary measures focused on good hygiene and social distancing to stem the outbreak.

7:45pm — Lahore, Pakistan — Education minister Punjab says schools cannot be allowed to reopen

Education Minister Punjab Murad Raas said that the lives of students and teachers were precious to the government and that schools could not be allowed to reopen amid coronavirus.

He warned that stern action would be taken against those who opened schools.

7:38pm — Karachi, Pakistan — PPP lawmaker dies of COVID-19

Sindh Minister for Human Settlements Ghulam Murtaza Baloch died of COVID-19, provincial spokesperson Murtaza Wahab said.

7:35pm — Peshawar, Pakistan  — KP reports eight deaths, 412 new cases

7:30pm — Tokyo, Japan — Capital issues stay-home alert after jump in new virus infections

The Tokyo government warned citizens to stay at home unless they had urgent business and to practise social distancing after recording 34 new coronavirus infections, the highest since early May.

Japan lifted a state of emergency for the capital on May 25.

Latest statistics on coronavirus

7:16pm — Muzaffarabad, AJK — Region imposes smart lockdown for 15 days

Azad Jammu Kashmir imposed a smart lockdown for 15 days after which children aged below 12 and people above 60 will not be allowed in markets.

The lockdown will be enforced after 12am today, a notification said.

Educational institutions, shrines, playgrounds, and cinemas will remain closed, while public gatherings are also prohibited.

7:10pm — New Delhi, India — Modi administration launches $6.7 billion plan to boost electronics manufacturing

India launched a $6.65 billion plan on Tuesday to boost electronics manufacturing, saying it would start by offering five global smartphone makers incentives to establish or expand domestic production.

The government is offering a production-linked incentive (PLI) involving cash worth 4% to 6% of additional sales of goods made locally over five years, with 2019-2020 as the base year, technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told a news conference.

The plan comes as more companies look for manufacturing sites outside China, where the coronavirus pandemic disrupted global supply chains. India, which offers cheap labor, has more than 1 billion mobile connections but less than half that number of smartphones, offering manufacturers a huge potential market.

WATCH: Balochistan clears misconception regarding government's policies on COVID-19

6:58pm — Washington, US — Seven in 10 Americans would be likely to get a coronavirus vaccine, Post-ABC poll finds

6:45pm — Lahore, Pakistan — 251 critical patients in coronavirus

Health Minister Punjab Dr Yasmin Rashid said that there were 251 coronavirus patients in the province, including 119 in Lahore, 113 Rawalpindi, 16 Faisalabad, and three Muzaffargarh.

The minister reminded the people to follow precautionary measures as it reduces the infection's spread by at least 40%.

Five ways to boost mental health during stressful times

6:32pm — Harare, Zimbabwe — Country tightens coronavirus lockdown in capital 

Zimbabwean troops and police on Tuesday tightened the coronavirus lockdown in the capital Harare, blocking many cars and buses from entering the central business district as cases of infections increased, Reuters reported.

Coronavirus infections have more than tripled to 203 in the last few days. Mnangagwa had eased the lockdown since it was first imposed at the end of March.

6:25pm — Rome, Italy — Opposition parties flout social distancing rules at rally

Italian opposition parties and hundreds of supporters defied social distancing rules to pack Rome’s central streets in an anti-government protest rally, Reuters reported.

The demonstration was organised by the right-wing League, the far-right Brothers of Italy and the centre-right “Go Italy” parties to protest against the coalition government led by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

Live streaming on social media showed protesters marching next to each other with a large Italian flag along Via del Corso, leading to the Piazza del Popolo in Rome’s historic centre.

Some protesters were not wearing face masks, made compulsory in Italy when sufficient distancing between people is not possible.

Read complete story here.

6:18pm — Quetta, Pakistan — Culture dept forms committee to finalise names of artists affected by COVID-19

    

6:10pm — Students return to schools as Singapore eases restrictions

6:03pm — Hyderabad, Pakistan — PPP leader Maula Bakhsh Chandio tests positive for COVID-19

PPP Senator Maula Bakhsh Chandio has tested positive for coronavirus after which he went into self-isolation.

"My wife and son have also tested positive for the virus," he said, adding: "I am spending my time in my room along with my books."

Furthermore, he said that he was "fine". 

5:53pm — London, UK — 'Often mistrusted': Britain stats watchdog criticises COVID-19 test data

 Britain’s statistics watchdog chided the government on Tuesday for publishing data on coronavirus tests that it said were “far from complete and comprehensible”, Reuters reported.

“The aim seems to be to show the largest possible number of tests, even at the expense of understanding,” David Norgrove, the head of the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA), wrote in a letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

“It is also hard to believe the statistics work to support the testing programme itself.”

Criticism from the independent UKSA is likely to add to questions surrounding the government’s handling of a pandemic that has killed almost 50,000 people in the United Kingdom, according to the latest data.

Concerns over the test data first came to light when the government set itself an ambitious target to carry out 100,000 tests per day by the end of April - a goal it said it met.

Pakistan's top designers come together to launch country's first ever virtual fashion show

Amid the lockdown blues, Pakistan's top designers are putting forward a virtual fashion showcase entitled ‘Catwalk Cares’ under the flagship of Catwalk Event Management and Productions from Friday to Sunday on Harpal Geo and Catwalk’s official YouTube and Facebook accounts.

The virtual fashion week is dedicated to the front liners and volunteers who have worked day and night to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event was initially supposed to be live-streamed on myriad prestigious platforms during the three days of Eid-ul-Fitr but was postponed after the tragic Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane crash — that had 99 passengers onboard, including Pakistan's celebrated model Zara Abid, said the press release issued on Tuesday.

Read complete story here.

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5:30pm — Karachi, Pakistan — After Ramadan, number of female coronavirus patients rose significantly: Wahab

Sindh government Spokesman Murtaza Wahab said that after Ramadan and ease in lockdown, the number of female coronavirus patients rose significantly in the province.

The Sindh government spokesman was addressing a press conference, along with provincial minister Nasir Hussain Shah. The Sindh government officials expressed concern over the rise in number of cases.

Wahab said that earlier the rate of infection was higher in men, but now women and children are also getting infected rapidly.

He said that despite closing the schools since January 26, around 1,148 children under the age of 10 have been infected so far.

Read complete story here.

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5:22pm — Bengaluru, India — Emergency use of remdesivir to treat COVID-19 patients approved

India's government said it has approved Gilead Sciences Inc's antiviral drug remdesivir for emergency use for five doses in treating COVID-19 patients.

Remdesivir, which is administered intravenously in hospital, is the first drug to show improvement in COVID-19 patients in formal clinical trials and is at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19, which has no approved treatment or vaccine.

The drug was granted emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month and has received approval by Japanese health regulators. The drug is being administered in some countries under compassionate use rules.

"(Remdesivir) approved on June 1 under emergency use with condition for five dose administration," the Drugs Controller General of India said in an email statement.

5:16pm — London, UK — Proteins in COVID-19 patients' blood could predict severity of illness, study finds

Scientists have found 27 key proteins in the blood of people infected with COVID-19 which they say could act as predictive biomarkers for how ill a patient could become with the disease, Reuters reported.

In research published in the journal Cell Systems, scientists at Britain's Francis Crick Institute and Germany's Charite Universitaetsmedizin Berlin found the proteins are present in different levels in COVID-19 patients, depending on the severity of their symptoms.

The markers could lead to the development of a test that would help doctors predict how ill a patient might get when infected with the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, they said, and could also provide new targets for the development of potential treatments for the disease.

5:10pm — Wuhan, China — Wuhan tests nearly 10 million people, finds only 300 infections

China tested almost 10 million people for coronavirus in just over two weeks in Wuhan, the city where the pandemic began, officials said, reporting only a few hundred positive cases.

Chinese authorities claim to have largely brought the virus under control but Wuhan officials — wary of a second wave — launched the programme after new infections emerged for the first time since the city re-opened in April following more than two months in lockdown.

More than 9.8 million people were tested in the city of 11 million people between May 14 and June 1, officials said at a press conference.

Officials added that the 300 positive results were among asymptomatic patients.

4:45pm - Karachi, Pakistan — Schools not to be allowed to carry out academic activity: Saeed Ghani

Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani announced that private and government schools will not be allowed to carry out any academic activity.

The minister announced after chairing a meeting of the education department’s steering committee.

Ghani also announced that private institutions will be allowed to continue online education and has made it compulsory for all those schools to follow the SOPs.

4:35pm - Berlin, Germany — Germany wants to swap EU travel warning for softer guidelines this week

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that the German cabinet would on Wednesday discuss a resolution on downgrading the travel warnings currently in force for European Union countries and several other associated countries into softer guidelines.

“We are preparing a resolution for the cabinet tomorrow, which is still being agreed within the government,” Maas told reporters at a news conference with his Ukrainian counterpart on Tuesday.

“This week we want to start by turning the travel warning we have for the European Union and the associated countries into travel guidelines,” he added.

4:25pm - Dakar, Senegal — Senegal postpones school restart after teachers test positive for coronavirus

Senegal has postponed the restart of schools until further notice after several teachers tested positive for the new coronavirus, the education ministry said late on Monday.

The government announced on May 20 that schools would gradually resume on Tuesday June 2, after weeks of shutdown due to the pandemic. Senegal has recorded 3,739 positive COVID-19 cases since the start of the outbreak, with 43 deaths.

An education ministry statement said teachers tested positive for coronavirus in Ziguinchor, in the Casamance area, south of the country. It did not say how many teachers tested positive, nor in how many schools.

It said Senegal’s President Macky Sall decided to “postpone the restart of classes until a later date, in order to avoid any risk of the virus spreading in schools.”

The government began ferrying teachers in chartered busses from the capital Dakar to schools in the other regions last week in preparation for schools to reopen. The ministry said in a separate statement that the bussing has been suspended until further notice.

3:50pm - Paris, France — Global coronavirus death toll tops 375,000: AFP tally

More than 375,000 people have died worldwide from the novel coronavirus, mainly in the United States and Europe, since it emerged in China last year, according to an AFP tally of official figures at 0550 GMT on Tuesday.

A total of 375,070 deaths have been registered across the globe from 6,258,474 cases, including 179,051 in Europe from 2,167,233 infections.

The United States has recorded the most deaths of any country, with 105,160, ahead of Britain with 39,045, Italy with 33,475, Brazil with 29,937 and France at 28,833.

3:35pm - Geneva, Switzerland — COVID cases rising in Russia, Eastern Europe, waning in Western Europe: WHO

GENEVA (Reuters) - New cases of COVID-19 reported daily are steadily declining in Western Europe, but not in hotspots in Russia and Eastern Europe, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

Spokeswoman Margaret Harris told a briefing: “At the moment in Europe, in Western Europe, we are seeing a steady decline. It’s not speedy but there’s a steady decline in new cases being reported daily, so that means that the number of new cases are still significant but the number is coming down except for Russia and Eastern Europe where we are still seeing the rise.”

Russia has reported 423,741 cases, the world’s third highest reported total, including 5,037 deaths.

Harris said that she had no information on whether talks were still taking place with the Trump administration, which announced last Friday that it was leaving the agency over its handling of the pandemic. “I have no information on whether we were formally notified,” she added.

3:15pm - Peshawar, Pakistan — KP CM asks people to follow SOPs as lcokdown eases

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan announced that the lockdown is being eased in the province and urged people to follow the SOPs.

“Shops and markets will remain open till 7pm,” said the CM, adding that businesses will remain closed on Saturday and Sunday. He also shared that the tourism sector was also being opened with the SOPs. 

3:00pm - Quetta, Pakistan — Balochistan govt extends lockdown till June 16

The Balochistan government has extended the lockdown in the province till June 16, said a notification issued by the Home Department.

According to the notification, shopping malls will be allowed to operate six days a week and restaurants will be allowed to remain open for 24 hours but only for delivery or takeaway service. 

2:10pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Death toll from virus rises to 1,644

The death toll from the novel coronavirus rose to 1,644 on Tuesday after Sindh reported new deaths.

According to Sindh CM, 23 new deaths were reported in the province in the last 24 hours to take the provincial tally to 526.

2:10pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh becomes first province to report more than 31,000 cases

Confirmed cases in the county jumped past 77,000 on Tuesday after new cases were detected in Sindh.

According to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, 1,439 new cases were reported in the province in the last 24 hours taking the provincial tally to 31,086.

He added there were 15,022 patients under treatment in the province at the moment.

1:40pm - Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh govt agrees to resume public transport across province

The Sindh Government has agreed to resume public transporter across the province, announced transport minister Awais Shah on Tuesday.

The approval was granted following successful negotiations between the transporters and the minister. A monitoring and inspection team has been constituted to ensure that social distancing guidelines and SOPs are followed by the transporters to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

“Transport will be allowed to resume within the city from tomorrow,” said the minister, adding that all transporters will have to follow the government's SOPs.

Read more here.

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1:20pm - KP's DG health and secretary local govt test positive for virus 

12:55pm - Fifth PIA special flight departs from New Jersey  

12:40pm - Jakarta, Indonesia — Indonesia cancels hajj over coronavirus concerns

Indonesia has cancelled the hajj pilgrimage this year for people in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation due to concerns over the coronavirus, the religious affairs minister said on Tuesday.

Each year hundreds of thousands of Indonesians go on the haj to Saudi Arabia, where Islam’s two holiest sites — Makkah and Madina — are located. For many Indonesians, the religious pilgrimage is a once-in-a lifetime event, with the average wait time 20 years due to a quota system, according to the country’s cabinet secretariat.

Saudi authorities have already said the hajj and umrah pilgrimages — which attract millions of travellers from around the world — will remain suspended until further notice.

Fachrul Razi, Indonesia’s religious affairs minister, said the decision to cancel hajj this year was made due to concerns over the coronavirus and ongoing travel restrictions.

12:20pm - Punjab Energy Minister Dr Akhtar Malik recovers from coronavirus  

Punjab Minister for Energy Dr Akhtar Malik shared that he has recovered from the coronavirus and tested negative for the infection. 

"My battle against COVID-19 is over but as nation we still have a long way to go," tweeted the provincial minister. He also thanked his family and well wishers for his recovery.

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12:10pm - Asad Umar chairs NCOC meeting in Islamabad 

12:00pm - Paris, France — French economy will contract 11% in 2020, more hard days ahead: minister

The French economy is set to contract 11% this year due to the coronavirus crisis and more hard days lie ahead until things bounce back next year, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Tuesday.

France imposed one of the Europe’s strictest lockdowns in mid-March and only began removing restrictions on May 11. Cafes, bars and restaurants were only allowed to reopen for regular business on Tuesday.

“We were hard hit by the virus, we took effective measures to protect French people’s health but the economy practically ground to a halt for three months,” Le Maire told RTL radio.

“We’re going to pay for it with growth,” he said, adding that a budget update being prepared would forecast a contraction of 11% versus one of 8% forecast previously.

With some 300,000 cafes, bars and restaurants reopening on Tuesday, Le Maire said that they would continue to benefit from handouts from a government solidarity fund until the end of the year to help cover fixed costs.

10:50am - Islamabad, Pakistan — Pakistan registers highest single day surge in positive cases 

Pakistan in the last 24 hours reported 3,938 cases in a single day, its highest spike since the coronavirus outbreak began in the country. While Pakistan also recorded 78 new deaths in the last 24 hours and carried out 16,548 tests.

Meanwhile, Punjab reported its highest death toll to date in a single day —  43 and its highest surge in number of cases — 1,610.

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Latest data from five worst-hit countries 

9:45am — Islamabad, Pakistan — Death toll surges past 1,600

The death toll from the novel coronavirus climbed to 1,621 on Tuesday after new deaths were reported across the country.

According to the national dashboard, 43 new deaths were recorded in Punjab, and two each in Balochistan and Islamabad in the past 24 hours.

9:45am — Islamabad, Pakistan — Confirmed cases jump past 76,000

Confirmed cases in the country jumped to 76,398 on Tuesday after new cases were reported in Punjab, Islamabad, Balochistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

According to the national dashboard, 1,610 new cases were detected in Punjab, 304 new cases were detected in the federal capital, 116 in Balochistan and 16 new cases in AJK.

10:16pm — Rome, Italy — 55 new coronavirus deaths, 318 new cases reported

Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 55, against 60 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the daily tally of new cases rose to 318 from 178 on Monday, Reuters reported.

The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on Feburary 21 now stands at 33,530, the agency said, the third highest in the world after those of the United States and Britain.

The number of confirmed cases amounts to 233,515, the sixth highest global tally behind those of the United States, Russia, Brazil, Spain and Britain.