Coronavirus updates, June 15: Latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic from Pakistan and around the world
Nationwide confirmed cases jump past 146,000, death toll surpasses 2,750; global death toll tops 432,000
Updated Monday Jun 15 2020
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 148,617 on Monday after new infections were confirmed in the country.
The province-wise break up of the total number of cases as of 9:00pm, June 15, is as follows:
Total confirmed cases: 148,617
• Sindh: 55,581
• Punjab: 55,878
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 18,013
• Balochistan: 8,177
• Islamabad Capital Territory: 8,569
• Gilgit-Baltistan: 1,143
• AJK: 647
Deaths: 2,834
• Punjab: 1,081
• Sindh: 853
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 707
• Balochistan: 85
• Islamabad Capital Territory: 78
• Gilgit-Baltistan: 17
• AJK: 13
More than 7.94 million people have been reported infected with the novel coronavirus globally and over 432,000 have died, according to an 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 15
Live updates for June 16 to begin here.
12:10pm(June 16) — Lahore, Pakistan — Punjab reports 50 deaths, 1,740 new infections
11:56pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — 30% of COVID-19 patients recover in capital
11:47pm — Abuja, Nigeria — Doctors strike for better benefits during coronavirus crisis
Resident doctors in Nigerian public hospitals went on strike to demand better benefits, including the provision of more protective equipment, as they battle the coronavirus, the union said, Reuters reported.
Those treating COVID-19 patients will stay on the job but their union, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), gave the government two weeks to meet the demands or else they would also walk out.
Resident doctors are pivotal to frontline healthcare in Nigeria as they dominate the emergency wards in its hospitals.
“If the government fails to meet our minimum demands within two weeks, the resident doctors working in (COVID-19) isolation centres will automatically join the strike,” Aliyu Sokomba, the head of the union, said in a statement.
11:40pm — Santiago, Chile — State of catastrophe extended by 90 days as coronavirus surges
Chile's government said it would extend a state of catastrophe in place since mid-March by 90 days as cases of coronavirus in the South American nation have surged, Reuters reported.
The pace of new infections has increased dramatically in May and June, averaging over 5,000 daily in recent weeks. The onslaught has filled critical care wards and prompted authorities to declare a full lockdown in the capital Santiago, a city of more than six million.
The state of catastrophe, extended by presidential decree, gives the government extraordinary powers to restrict freedom of movement and assure food supply and basic services. Quarantine measures are routinely enforced by soldiers in Santiago.
Chile has recorded nearly 180,000 infections and more than 3,300 people have died, according to a Reuters tally.
11:35pm — Geneva, Switzerland — China's new virus outbreak needs further testing after 'hypothesis' on cause: WHO
The origins of a new cluster of coronavirus infections in Beijing are uncertain, World Health Organization officials said, but the claim that it might have been caused by imports or packaging of salmon was not the “primary hypothesis”, Reuters reported.
Several districts of the Chinese capital put up security checkpoints, closed schools and ordered people to be tested for the coronavirus on Monday after an unexpected rise in cases linked to the biggest wholesale food market in Asia.
State-run newspapers reported that the virus was discovered on chopping boards used for imported salmon at Beijing’s Xinfadi market amid worries about a second wave of the pandemic in China.
Mike Ryan, head of the WHO’s emergencies programme, stopped short of saying packaging needs to be tested systematically following the new infections.
“I think we need to look at what has happened in this case, I don’t believe it is the primary hypothesis. But it needs to be explored,” Ryan said in a briefing.
11:30pm — Abu Dhabi, UAE — More than 340 infections, two deaths reported
11:17pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh calls for formulation of new policy to tackle coronavirus
Prime Minister Imran Khan should call an emergency meeting of the NCOC to formulate a new policy to tackle the coronavirus, Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab said.
Talking about what the Sindh government plans to do in light of the NCOC's recommendations, he said: "The province's 85% cases are from six districts of Karachi, while the situation is not alarming in Hyderabad, Ghotki, Larkana, and Sukkur — on an average they have 1,500 cases."
Speaking in Geo News' programme "Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath", he said that infections had surpassed 10,000 in district East and 9,800 in South.
The hotbed of the virus in the province is Karachi, and pinpointing a neighbourhood in the metropolis will be hard for us, Wahab said.
"There are several institutions in Karachi which are under the federal government's control and we cannot impose restrictions on them if the Centre does not approve," he said, adding: "A unanimity of thought is needed [to tackle the disease]."
11:03pm — Quetta, Pakistan — Balochistan's cases at a glance
10:33pm — Gilgit, Pakistan — GB cases at a glance
10:23pm — Washington, US — FDA revokes emergency use authorisation for Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revoked the emergency use authorization (EUA) that allowed for chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate donated to the Strategic National Stockpile to be used to treat certain hospitalised patients with COVID-19 when a clinical trial was unavailable, or participation in a clinical trial was not feasible.
In a statement, the FDA said: "The agency determined that the legal criteria for issuing an EUA are no longer met. Based on its ongoing analysis of the EUA and emerging scientific data, the FDA determined that chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are unlikely to be effective in treating COVID-19 for the authorized uses in the EUA."
10:15pm — Europe reopens borders but China battles new outbreak
A raft of EU nations reopened their borders to fellow Europeans on Monday after months of coronavirus curbs, but China was battling a new outbreak that has stoked fears of a second wave.
As caseloads have declined in recent weeks across many parts of Europe, governments have been keen to ease painful lockdowns that have saved lives but devastated economies and wearied confined populations.
Belgium, France, Germany, Greece and Ukraine were among those lifting border restrictions on Monday, while shops and outdoor attractions in England were set to welcome their first customers since March and in Paris cafes and restaurants were allowed to fully reopen.
"We're desperate about tourists, we need them and we want them. If we don't have the people, how will we survive," says Michalis Drosos, who works in a souvenir shop in Fira, capital of the Greek island of Santorini.
Read complete story here.
10:05pm — Gilgit, Pakistan — GB reports 14 infections, one death
9:50pm — Peshawar, Pakistan — KP aims to enhance testing capacity
9:38pm — Geneva, Switzerland — WHO gives update on coronavirus as global infections near 8 million
9:28pm — Ottawa, Canada — Income support for unemployed during COVID-19 outbreak to be extended
Canada will extend the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) income support for the unemployed brought in to help people get through temporary job losses caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, Reuters reported.
Currently, the CERB can be claimed for up to 16 weeks. As of June 4, the government had paid C$43.5 billion ($31.9 billion) in CERB benefits, and some 8.4 million people had applied for at least one payment, official data showed.
Trudeau said that he would provide more details about the extension “in coming days”.
9:23pm — More than 10,000 violations of health guidelines across Pakistan in 24 hours
During the last 24 hours more than 10,557 violations of health guidelines were observed across Pakistan, Radio Pakistan reported .
More than 1,252 markets/shops, 12 industries and 1,148 transports were cautioned/fined/sensitised/sealed.
9:16pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Smart lockdown necessary for economy: Dr Mirza
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza emphasised that the smart lockdown is necessary for running the wheel of national economy, Radio Pakistan reported.
Dr Mirza said the government is not agreed with proposal of World Health Organisation for imposing 15 days lockdown and 15 days ease in it.
The SAPM said the government is providing all health facilities, equipments and enhancing the capacity building of hospitals.
Replying to a question, he said the government would increase the capacity of 1,000 ventilation beds in different hospitals in provinces.
9:10pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — NDMA directed to ensure availability of medicines
Prime Minister Imran Khan taking notice of the shortage of medicine and injections for COVID-19 patients directed the National Disaster Management Authority to ensure their availability and easy access.
Chairing a review meeting on the situation of coronavirus, the prime minister said directions had been issued to provinces on ensuring a ‘smart lockdown’ and maintaining a balance in protective measures and economic activities during the next few difficult weeks.
The prime minister expressed satisfaction over the availability of protective gear and personal protective kits as per requirement in fighting coronavirus.
The meeting was informed that at present, 107 coronavirus testing laboratories were operational across the country with 25,000 tests being carried out daily.
Currently, 4,800 ventilators are available, while 1,600 will be added soon. N-95 masks and ventilators are being locally manufactured. Till July, the hospitals of all provinces will be supplied with 2,000 additional beds for COVID-19 wards.
Read complete story here.
9:06pm — Sydney, Australia — Cricket Australia boss facing the axe: reports
Cricket Australia chief Kevin Roberts looks set to be axed this week, with stakeholders and staff disgruntled over his handling of the coronavirus shutdown, reports said.
The Australian newspaper said his fate would be sealed at a board meeting in the next 24 hours, while the Sydney Morning Herald reported his departure would be announced on Wednesday.
Cricket Australia had no immediate comment to AFP.
If Roberts, 47, loses his job he will join Rugby Australia and National Rugby League counterparts Raelene Castle and Todd Greenberg as casualties of the COVID-19 crisis.
9:00pm — Quetta, Pakistan — Balochistan reports 150 new infections
8:50pm — Beijing, China — Crowds gather for coronavirus tests amid new outbreak
On a sweltering Beijing afternoon, police vehicles blocked roads near the Guangan Sports Center complex and security guards warned the public to stay clear as residents filed in for testing amid the city’s COVID-19 outbreak, Reuters reported.
Staff in white PPE suits with megaphones yelled directions from gates, telling the crowds to gather in groups according to neighbourhood and avoid touching each other.
“We reported ourselves and they told us not to leave the house until the designated time,” said a 38-year-old woman surnamed Lu, who had visited the wholesale market at the heart of China’s new outbreak early in the month and was among the nearly 100 residents at the centre on Monday afternoon.
“It’s possible to meet with a sick person in the crowd, but there’s nothing to be done...everyone must be tested,” she said.
A test organiser who asked not to be named told Reuters that they had carried out thousands of tests, showing a list of several dozen names from one neighbourhood in Beijing’s west that had been flagged by local authorities.
Read complete story here.
8:42pm — London, UK — EasyJet resumes flying with COVID-19 measures in place
EasyJet aircraft took to the skies for the first time since March 30, as the British carrier resumed a small number of mainly domestic flights after weeks of lockdown, Reuters reported.
Passengers, who under easyJet’s new rules must wear face masks, boarded the airline’s first flight from London’s Gatwick airport to Glasgow for an 0600 GMT departure.
Chief Executive Johan Lundgren said the airline was “super excited” to restart flights.
He said measures to protect passengers had been agreed with regulators. “It’s absolutely safe to fly,” he added.
The airline is starting with a minimal service, flying mainly routes within Britain to cities including Edinburgh and Belfast. It is also resuming some domestic and international routes from France, Switzerland, Italy and Portugal.
8:32pm — Madrid, Spain — British embassy confirms Brits can travel to Spain from June 21
The British embassy in Spain confirmed that British citizens will be allowed to travel to the Iberian country when it opens its borders next Sunday, but still advised against any non-essential international travel due to the coronavirus, Reuters reported.
Spain will reopen its borders to most European visitors from June 21, 10 days earlier than previously planned, a Spanish Foreign Ministry source told Reuters on Sunday.
“The Spanish government has confirmed to us that the UK is included within the group of countries to whom these border relaxations will apply,” the embassy said via a Twitter account it uses to inform British citizens in Spain, @BritsliveSpain.
8:25pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Islamabad's cases at a glance
8:17pm — Paris, France — Restaurants reopen fully, still wary about post-lockdown
Paris restaurants reopened indoor dining halls as the government relaxed one of the last major coronavirus constraints, but with virtually no tourists and many French people still working from home, the mood was cautious, Reuters reported.
President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that restaurants and cafes in Paris could open fully from Monday, the same day France lifted border restrictions for European Union travellers, bringing much needed relief for the hospitality industry.
Restaurants outside the Paris region were allowed to open again from June 2, but in the city, where the virus struck hardest, venues could only serve customers on outdoor terraces.
At Le Mesturet, a bistrot between the Opera Garnier and the Louvre museum, owner Alain Fontaine said it was a relief to reopen, but he warned that without tourists and with many people still teleworking, restaurants should not operate at full capacity in order to avoid the risk of bankruptcies.
“I am sure that by end of summer everybody will have reopened, but it may take six months to a year before business fully recovers to like it was before,” he said.
8:07pm — Tehran, Iran — Health minister warns may have to reimpose tough virus controls
Iran warned it may have to reimpose tough measures against the novel coronavirus to ensure social distancing, as it reported more than 100 deaths for a second straight day, AFP reported.
Health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said 113 new fatalities took to 8,950 the total number of COVID-19 deaths since the country's outbreak began in February.
She also said another 2,449 people had tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours, taking the Islamic republic's overall caseload to 189,876.
Iran's government shut schools, postponed major public events and barred inter-city travel to stop the virus's spread in March before gradually easing restrictions from April.
8:00pm — Beijing, China — Industrial output continues slow recovery from virus hit
China's retail sales improved further after collapsing at the start of the year and factory output also rose again in May as official data showed on Monday, but the officials warned the country faced a rocky recovery as it emerges from the coronavirus crisis.
The world's number two economy has been hammered by the disease, with strict lockdown measures to contain it causing the first recession in decades during January-March.
Industrial production expanded 4.4% last month, the Bureau for National Statistics (NBS), up from 3.9% in April, which was the first increase this year.
The reading was slightly short of the 5% forecast in a Bloomberg survey but is a sharp improvement on the 13.5% collapse in the first two months of the year.
Read complete story here.
7:52pm — Hong Kong's Disneyland to reopen on June 18 after coronavirus break
Hong Kong’s Disneyland theme park said it will reopen on June 18 to a reduced number of visitors and with enhanced health measures after the coronavirus outbreak forced it to close in late January, Reuters reported.
The majority of the park’s shopping and dining locations will restart operations with “controlled capacity,” while social distancing measures will be implemented in queues, restaurants and other facilities. Hotel services will also resume gradually.
Disinfection will be carried out more frequently and hand sanitizers will be made available for visitors, who will be required to go through temperature screening and wear a face mask. A health declaration will be required as part of the reservation process.
7:45pm — Chennai, India's — City to reimpose lockdown as coronavirus surges
A lockdown will be reimposed Friday on some 15 million people in the Indian city of Chennai and several neighbouring districts, state officials said, as coronavirus cases surge in the region, AFP reported.
"Full Lockdown from 19th for Chennai, Thiruvallur, Chengalpet & Kanchipuram districts," the Tamil Nadu state government tweeted Monday.
It will be in place until the end of June.
India, home to 1.3 billion people, has gradually lifted a nationwide lockdown over the past few weeks even as new infections continue rising.
Tamil Nadu, where Chennai is the capital, is the second-worst hit state after Maharashtra.
The southern state has recorded just over 44,000 cases out of a nationwide total of 332,424, according to official figures.
7:37pm — Ottawa, Canada — April factory sales plummet record 28.5% but May data should improve
Canadian manufacturing sales plummeted a record-breaking 28.5% in April as the coronavirus pandemic hit business operations, Statistics Canada said, but analysts and the agency predicted the figures should improve in May, Reuters reported.
Analysts in a Reuters poll had forecast a decline of 20% in April. Statistics Canada revised its March figure down to a 9.8% decline from an initial drop of 9.2%.
“This is a much deeper hole than initially expected, and could take even longer for the sector to dig out of than initially expected,” CIBC Senior Economist Royce Mendes said in a note.
All 21 industries monitored by Statistics Canada reported declines, while over four-fifths of manufacturers said the coronavirus pandemic had affected their operations. In volume terms, sales plunged a record 26.0%.
Many manufacturers resumed production in May as Canada’s 10 provinces began to gradually restart their economies, which is “expected to bolster sales compared with April,” Statscan said.
Read complete story here.
7:30pm — Karachi, Pakistan — HDU installation complete in Expo Centre field isolation hospital
The facility of 150 HDU beds and six ventilators have been set up in Expo Centre field isolation hospital, sources informed Geo News.
The HDU has seven cubicles and one cubical includes 20 beds, sources said, adding that HDUs are also being set up at Lyari Hospital, Qatar Hospital, Korangi No. 5, and Site Hospital.
7:12pm — Karachi, Pakistan — JI leader Muhammad Hussain Mehanti tests positive for coronavirus
Jamaat-E-Islam Sindh president, Muhammad Hussain Mehanti, test positive for coronavirus and has went into self-isolation, a party spokesperson confirmed
7:15pm — New Delhi, India — Taxi driver turns hearse driver as coronavirus cases spike
The heat was already suffocating when Mohammad Aamir Khan woke up in his tiny, windowless room with only a sheer curtain for a door. He offered a brief prayer to a picture hanging above the bed of the Kaaba, the holiest site in Islam, and headed down the narrow stairs, Reuters reported.
It was time to ferry the dead.
Before the novel coronavirus brought its pandemic to New Delhi, Aamir was one of tens of thousands of people making a living in the Indian capital as a taxi driver.
But that work dried up during the nearly three-month lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus. With cases rising in India even before the government lifted the lockdown last week, a friend suggested perhaps the only business now booming in the country – driving a private ambulance.
Reporting on his first day, the 38-year-old said, he hadn’t even realized he would be transporting coronavirus patients until he was handed a set of overalls.
It wasn’t long before his ambulance became a hearse. Now his days are spent transporting corpses from the hospital to cremation pyres and cemeteries, sometimes stacked on top of each other six at a time, their names written in permanent marker on their burial shrouds.
Read complete story here.
7:02pm — New Delhi, India — Criticism mounts as hospital beds run out amid COVID-19 surge
India’s capital is fast running out of hospital beds amid a surge in coronavirus cases and is struggling to contain the pandemic, after critics said it did too little to prepare and reopened shopping malls and temples too soon, Reuters reported.
Some families of people infected with COVID-19 have complained about having to hunt for beds for their relatives after hospitals turned them away.
Others said patients had been left unattended in corridors of government-run hospitals, while local media reports of dead bodies in a hospital lobby prompted the Supreme Court to order the state administration to get its act together.
“I don’t think we expected that cases would rise this much,” said a lawmaker of the Aam Aadmi party that runs the capital, who asked not to be named. “We were so over-confident.”
The office of New Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the city’s health authorities did not respond to requests for comment.
Less than a month ago, Kejriwal said the city’s hospitals were well equipped to fight the virus as the lockdown had given authorities enough time to prepare. “Delhi will win, corona will lose,” he said.
Read complete story here.
6:35pm — Karachi, Pakistan — COVID-19 leads to surge in polio cases
Anti-polio campaigns are halted due to coronavirus in Sindh leading to a surge in cases in the provinces and the country.
Polio virus is spreading through water samples in Sindh including Karachi, medical experts said, adding that the virus has raised concerns about the spread of other diseases.
WATCH: Theatre company stages short performances in front of buildings to entertain locals due to a ban on public gatherings
6:23pm — New Delhi, Indian — Exports fall by over 36% in May
India’s merchandise exports shrank by more than a third in May from a year ago, dragged down by a fall in global demand and shipments due to the outbreak of coronavirus, trade ministry data showed, Reuters reported.
Merchandise exports INEXP=ECI were down by 36.47% to $19.05 billion in May, while imports INIMP=ECI were down 51.05% to $22.20 billion, the data showed.
PDMA Punjab pays homage to medical workers fighting coronavirus
6:06pm — London, UK Oil falls on growing fears of coronavirus second wave
Oil prices fell as new coronavirus infections hit China, Japan and the United States, adding to concerns that a resurgence of the virus could hamper a recovery in fuel demand, Reuters reported
Brent crude was down 38 cents, or 1%, at $38.35 a barrel by 1154 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was down 66 cents, or 1.8%, at $35.60.
“A fresh wave of cases will certainly raise worries that a recovery in demand may take even longer than initially thought,” said ING’s head of commodities strategy, Warren Patterson.
Economic data from China also failed to live up to expectations. China’s industrial output in May expanded 4.4% from a year earlier but the gain was less than expected, suggesting the world’s second-biggest economy is still struggling to get back on track.
Germany’s economic output will also fall further in the second quarter, the economy ministry said on Monday.
5:59pm — Quetta, Pakistan — All five of Balochistan's COVID-19 testing labs functional, says Liaquat Shahwani
5:53pm — China's response to COVID-19 better than US's, global poll finds
Far more people around the world think China has responded well to the COVID-19 pandemic than those who think the United States has done a good job, a poll by the Alliance of Democracies Foundation showed, Reuters reported.
The survey of more than 120,000 people from 53 countries by the think tank and German polling data firm Dalia Research found that even in democratic countries, 45% of people thought their governments had limited too many freedoms during the pandemic.
“COVID-19 is also a litmus test for democracy,” said Anders Fogh Rasmussen, chairman of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation and a former NATO secretary general.
“It should act as a wake up call to democratic leaders that people want more democracy and freedom after COVID-19,” he said.
More than 60% of people surveyed thought China had responded well to the pandemic, while only a third around the world thought the US response had been effective. Just over half of those surveyed in the United States thought their government had responded well, however.
5:45pm — Peshawar, Pakistan — KP reports 32 deaths, 459 new infections
5:41pm — Beijing, China — Authorities steps up checks on meat, seafood after COVID-19 cases in market
Several Chinese provinces are stepping up inspections of fresh and frozen meat and seafood, including imported products, after a new outbreak of coronavirus infections linked to a Beijing food market, Reuters reported.
The tougher checks are raising fears of possible delays in handling cargoes or even temporary halts to imports.
China is the world’s top meat buyer, bringing in almost 4 million tonnes in the year to date.
Beijing has reported 79 novel coronavirus cases over the past four days, the biggest concentration of infections since February, with most linked to Xinfadi, the biggest wholesale food market in Asia.
Media reports raised concerns that produce at the market could have been contaminated with the virus, after it was found on a chopping board used to handle salmon.
Major supermarkets in cities across China removed salmon products from their shelves over the weekend, and Norwegian suppliers said on Monday imports of the fish had been halted.
5:11pm — Beijing, China — Parts of Chinese capital locked down as virus outbreak gathers fresh pace
Authorities raced to contain a coronavirus outbreak linked to a wholesale food market, with some neighbourhoods placed under complete lockdown as all indoor sports and entertainment venues were shut down in China's capital.
Tens of thousands of people were also targeted in a massive test and trace programme, as the number of cases from the new Beijing cluster increased to 79.
The outbreak came after China had largely brought the virus under control following its emergence in a central Chinese city late last year, highlighting the enduring dangers for the rest of the world about a second wave of the pandemic.
Indoor sports and entertainment venues across Beijing have been ordered to close, the municipal party committee said at a press conference Monday.
4:50pm - Singapore — Singapore to remove most coronavirus restrictions from Friday: government
Singapore will allow small gatherings and the reopening of restaurants and shops from June 19, its health ministry said on Monday, in a major easing of the city-state’s coronavirus restrictions.
Social gatherings of up to five people will be permitted from Friday, when the majority of activities resume after more than two months of restrictions. Social distancing requirements will remain in place.
Tiny Singapore has one of the highest infection tallies in Asia, with more than 40,000 cases, because of mass outbreaks in dormitories for its migrant workers. Singapore reopened schools and some businesses earlier this month.
4:40pm - Helsinki, Finland — Finland withdraws emergency powers act as virus spread slows
Finland’s government is withdrawing the emergency powers act it adopted on March 18 to contain the spread of the coronavirus as the slowdown in its spread there means it is no longer needed, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said.
Marin said there were no longer legal grounds for the government to keep the emergency legislation giving it extraordinary powers.
“It doesn’t mean the threat of the virus spreading would be over,” she said.
4:00pm - Karachi, Pakistan — Pakistan's positive cases cross 146,000
Nationwide positive cases of coronavirus rose to 146,254 after new cases were reported in Sindh.
According to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, 1,776 people tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours.
The new cases takes the provincial tally of positive cases to 55,581.
4:00pm - Karachi, Pakistan — Countrywide death toll rises to 2,751
Nationwide death toll from the coroanvirus rose to 2,751 after new deaths were reported in Sindh.
According to Sindh CM, 22 new deaths were recorded in province taking the provincial tally to 853.
3:15pm - Dusseldorf, Germany — Spain reopens borders for 10,000 Germans in tourism pilot project
Spain reopened to a select group of German tourists on Monday in a pilot project which will bring 10,000 holidaymakers to the Balearic Islands to find out how mass tourism can work in a time of coronavirus.
Dozens of mask-wearing sunseekers queued at Duesseldorf airport on Monday morning to board tour operator TUI’s flight to Palma de Mallorca, eager to test arrangements for socially distanced holidaymaking two weeks before Spain fully reopens.
Hotels are limited to running at 50% occupancy and will have infra-red cameras at their entrances to measure guests’ body temperatures. The government is limiting to 10,900 the number of test participants. But few were deterred.
“It’ll be quieter than normal,” said one face-mask wearing holidaymaker, ready in a short-sleeved shirt.
“But it’s a good feeling that it’s all starting up again. That we can travel again.”
2:45pm - Islamabad, Pakistan — NCOC identifies top 20 cities as potential hotspots
The National Command and Coordination Centre (NCOC) has identified top 20 cities across the country as potential COVID-19 hotspots and clusters, said a press release issued by the body.
In Islamabad the authorities have already sealed G-9/2 and G-9/3 for having over 300 cases. While, I-8, I-10, Ghauri Town, Bharakhau , G6 and G7 are being monitored.
The other cities identified by the NCOC are Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranawala, Swat, Hyderabad, Sukkar, Sialkot, Gujarat, Ghotki, Larakana, Khairpur, DG Khan, Malakand and Mardan.
WHO salutes healthcare workers
1:15pm - Paris, France — Worst of epidemic behind us, but virus not dead: French health minister
The worst part of the coronavirus epidemic is behind France, but people must remain vigilant as the virus continues to circulate, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Monday.
“The largest part of the epidemic is behind us but the virus is not dead. We did not completely defeat it and we are controlling its circulation. We continue testing,” Veran told LCI television.
France reported on Sunday nine new coronavirus deaths over the previous 24 hours, taking the total to 29,407. It was the fifth day in which the number of fatalities remained below 30.
President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday he was accelerating France’s exit from its coronavirus lockdown, with restaurants and cafes in Paris allowed to reopen fully from Monday, the same day France lifts restrictions at its borders for European Union travellers.
Asked if he feared a new wave of infections following news of a fresh cluster of novel coronavirus cases centred around a wholesale market in China, Veran said he was not worried but vigilant.
1:00pm - Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh minister Shehla Raza tests positive for virus
Sindh Minister Shehla Raza has gone into quarantine at her home after testing positive for the coronavirus.
The minister shared that she was awaiting the test results of the rest of her family members and appealed to the people to pray for her recovery.
12:45pm - Lahore, Pakistan — Punjab govt to impose complete lockdown in some areas of Lahore: Yasmin Rashid
The Punjab government has decided to put in a complete lockdown in some areas of Lahore due to the rising coronavirus cases being reported from the provincial capital, confirmed Health Minister Yasmin Rashid.
“Many areas of Lahore will be shut down from 12am onwards from tomorrow,” said the minister in a press conference. She added that the areas being put under a complete lockdown include Shahdra, Shad Bagh, Harnispura.
Meanwhile, some areas in Gulberg will also be shut and some societies in Lahore’s Iqbal Town said the minister.
“Grocery stores and pharmacies will remain open in these areas,” clarified the minister, adding that they will be under a complete lockdown for at least two weeks. She added that the areas will be reopened after looking at the situation of those areas.
12:40pm - Paris, France — Working from home is not panacea for virus: French finance minister
Working from home is still a preferred option but is not the panacea for dealing with the problems caused by the coronavirus, French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said on Monday, as France looks to speed up the re-opening of its economy.
“Working from home remains preferable, in the sense that it allows us to have a gradual return and can limit the circulation of the virus. But I’ve always considered that working from home was not the panacea,” Le Maire told France Info radio.
Even though many of France’s shops and restaurants have started to re-open, the major business districts of Paris remain empty as many employees are still working from home.
12:20pm - Hong Kong, China — Hong Kong Disneyland to reopen after five-month virus closure
Hong Kong's Disneyland will reopen its doors on Thursday following nearly five months of closure, the park said on Monday, in a fresh boost for a city that has largely managed to defeat the coronavirus.
Visitors will need to sign health declarations, submit to regular temperature checks and wear masks at all times unless eating, the park said in a statement on Monday.
It is just the second Disneyland around the world to resume services during the pandemic after Shanghai turned its lights and rides back on last month.
Tokyo and Paris remain closed while the company's flagship park in California is eyeing a July reopening.
12:00am - Islamabad, Pakistan — Health ministry data shows 4,195 healthcare workers affected by coronavirus
The Ministry of Health Services shared that so far 4,195 healthcare workers have been infected by the coronvirus in Pakistan.
According to the data shared on June 14, 2,526 of the affected are doctors, with KP having the highest number of infected health workers.
The data also shows that 39 have died with Sindh losing 16 healthcare workers to the disease.
11:35am - Karachi, Pakistan — DG Afghan Transit Trade Zahid Khokhar loses life to COVID-19
Director General Afghan Transit Trade Zahid Khokhar lost his to the coronavirus on Monday, confirmed the family members of the civil servant.
11:20am - SAPM Bukhari shares details of PIA registered agents
11:05am - Prague, Czech Republic — Czech Republic's number of coronavirus cases rises to more than 10,000
The number of coronavirus cases rose to more than 10,000 in the Czech Republic, Health Ministry data showed on Monday.
The country of 10.7 million has 10,024 confirmed cases as of the end of Sunday, with 329 deaths and 7,226 recovered.
The daily rise in case numbers has been in the range of 31-74 over the past two weeks.
Czech authorities opened their borders to travel from most European Union countries earlier this month and it has raised the limit for public gatherings to 500 people.
11:00am - Sindh Assembly to amend rules for holding online sessions incase of emergency
10:50am - Quetta, Pakistan — Malls, markets to be open in Quetta for six days a week
Authorities in Quetta have announced that shopping malls, markets and shops will be allowed to open from 9am till 7pm under the smart lockdown strategy being followed by the Balochistan government.
The authorities added that businesses will be allowed to operate six days a week, with a complete lockdown being observed on Friday. They added that only four people will be allowed to be in a shop in a single time.
10:20am - Bangkok, Thailand — Thailand reports no new coronavirus cases, no new deaths
Thailand on Monday reported no new coronavirus infections or deaths, maintaining the total of 3,135 confirmed cases and 58 fatalities.
It is the second time in five days that no cases were reported and marked 21 days without a local transmission. There are 2,987 patients who have recovered.
All recent cases have been found in quarantine among Thais returning from abroad, said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for the government’s COVID-19 task force.
10:10am - Islamabad, Pakistan — NCOC reports 10,557 health violations across country
The National Command and Operations Centre reported that 10,557 violations of health guidelines/instructions was observed across the country in the last 24 hours.
The NCOC reported that authorities had also sealed or fined more than 1,252 markets/shops, 12 industries and 1,148 transports.
The authorities based on the trace track and quarantine strategy, have imposed a city-wide lockdown in Muzzafarabad, while two sectors of Islamabad have also been lockdown.
9:55am — Islamabad, Pakistan — Confirmed cases jump past 144,000, death toll climbs to 2,729
Confirmed cases in the country climbed to 144,478 on Monday after Islamabad, Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) recorded new cases.
According to the national dashboard, 1,537 new cases were recorded in Punjab, 635 in the federal capital and 43 in cases in AJK in the last 24 hours.
The country’s death toll also climbed to 2,729 with Punjab recording 62, Islamabad three and AJK one more death.
England's shops back in business as lockdown eased
After 83 days of coronavirus lockdown, non-essential stores in England reopen their doors on Monday, hoping to get the tills ringing again and start a long road to recovery.
The stores have been closed since March 23 when Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed a lockdown to stem the spread of the virus.
Stores will look very different from before the lockdown as they will have to observe hygiene and social distancing regulations. Shoppers face queues outside, restricted numbers inside and limitations on trying products.
9:20am — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — Confirmed cases climb to 867,624, death toll rises to 43,332
Brazil's confirmed coronavirus cases jumped to 867,624 on Sunday after 17,110 new cases were detected.
The country's death also climbed to 43,332 with 612 new deaths.
US records lowest 24-hour death toll since COVID-19 peak in mid-April
8:50am — Beijing, China — Coronavirus resurgence in Beijing prompts return of tough measures
Beijing reported its second consecutive day of record new numbers of COVID-19 cases on Monday, adding urgency to efforts to rein in a sudden resurgence of the coronavirus in the Chinese capital.
The recent outbreak has been traced to a major wholesale food market, Xinfadi, which accounts for 80% of Beijing's farm produce supply sourced both domestically and from overseas.
The market has been shut, tens of thousands of nearby residents are being tested for the virus and a city-wide campaign launched to identify people who have recently visited the market or have been in contact with people who have.
Beijing officials on Monday confirmed 36 new COVID-19 cases for June 14, the same as a day earlier, which was the city's highest daily infection count since late March. Officials have now reported 79 cases over just four days, the biggest concentration of infections since February.
8:40am — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Kingdom calls for compliance as coronavirus cases rise
Saudi Arabia called on people to comply with health measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus on Sunday, as its daily tally of cases rose above 4,000 for the first time.
The Saudi Arabian health ministry reported 4,233 new coronavirus cases to bring the total to 127,541, with 972 deaths, the highest among the six Gulf Arab states.
Saudi Arabia, which has a population of some 30 million, allowed employees to return to offices, commercial centres to reopen and prayers at mosques to resume in a three-phase plan which began last month. A curfew is due to end by June 21.
Saudi authorities re-imposed curfew hours in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah on June 5 and suspended work at offices for two weeks as the number of infections there increased.
8:30am — Milan, Italy — Death toll from coronavirus outbreak rises to 34,345
Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 44 on Sunday, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the tally of new cases increased by 338.
The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on February 21 now stands at 34,345, the agency said, the fourth highest in the world after those of the United States, Britain and Brazil.
The number of confirmed cases amounts to 236,989, the seventh-highest global tally behind those of the United States, Russia, Brazil, Spain, Britain and India.
The northern region of Lombardy, where the outbreak was first identified, remains by far the worst affected of Italy's 20 regions, accounting for 244 of the 338 new cases reported on Sunday.
08:28pm/June 14 — New Delhi, India — Delhi to use 500 railway coaches as hospital facilities to fight coronavirus
India’s federal government has said it will provide New Delhi’s city authorities with 500 railway coaches that will be equipped to care for coronavirus patients, after a surge in the number of cases led to a shortage of hospital beds.
The coaches will increase Delhi’s capacity by 8,000 beds, home minister Amit Shah said on Twitter after a meeting with the capital’s chief minister.
The government will also ramp up testing in the city, especially in containment zones, conduct a door-to-door health survey of residents and provide sufficient supplies of oxygen cylinders and ventilators, he said.
India is the fourth-worst affected country in the world, with cases steadily increasing. It reported a record single-day jump in cases on Sunday, adding nearly 12,000 confirmed infections and taking the total to more than 320,000, according to health ministry data.
07:42pm/June 14 — London, UK — Racism contributed to disproportionate UK BAME coronavirus deaths: inquiry
An official British government inquiry has found racism to be a contributor to the high number of deaths in the black, Asian and minority communities, according to Guardian.
It says that: “Stakeholders pointed to racism and discrimination experienced by communities and more specifically BAME key workers as a root cause to exposure risk and disease progression.”
It continues: “Racism and discrimination experienced by BAME key workers [is] a root cause affecting health and exposure risk. For BAME communities, lack of trust of NHS services resulted in reluctance to seek care.”
11:15pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh calls for formulation of new policy to tackle coronavirus
Prime Minister Imran Khan should call an emergency meeting of the NCOC to formulate a new policy to tackle the coronavirus, Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab said.
Talking about what the Sindh government plans to do in light of the NCOC's recommendations, he said: "The province's 85% cases are from six districts of Karachi, while the situation is not alarming in Hyderabad, Ghotki, Larkana, and Sukkur — on an average they have 1,500 cases."
Speaking in Geo News' programme "Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath", he said that infections had surpassed 10,000 in district East, 9,800 in South.
The hotbed of the virus in the province is Karachi, and pinpointing a neighbourhood in the metropolis will be hard for us, Wahab said.
"There are several institutions in Karachi which are under the federal government's control and we cannot impose restrictions on them if the Centre does not approve," he said, adding: "A unanimity of thought is needed [to tackle the disease]."
11:23pm — Quetta, Pakistan — Balochistan's cases at a glance
