Infographic: The region's mixed response to Covid-19

20 April 2020
Both the Covid-19 case counts and governments’ civil and financial responses vary dramatically across the Middle East and North Africa region

Click here to download the infographic (dated 20 April 2020)

23 April: Covid-19 cases in Mena near 134,000-mark

Dubai and Abu Dhabi eye reopening of commercial centres such as malls as Ramadan approaches

The number of Covid-19 cases in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region crossed 133,813 as of 23 April, according to Worldometers data collated by MEED.

 

GCC countries account for 25.4 per cent of Mena’s total cases, with the majority (64.3 per cent) located in regional epicentre Iran.

Outside Iran, Saudi Arabia has the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the Mena region, with 12,772 confirmed infections. 

To date, 1,812 Covid-19 patients have recovered in Saudi Arabia, while 114 have died.

The UAE has the Mena region’s third-highest number of Covid-19 infections, totalling 8,238 on 23 April.

The country has reported 1,546 recoveries and 52 deaths related to Covid-19.

On 23 April, UAE state-news agency Wam reported that the Ministry of Health and Prevention and the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority had directed local economic departments to study the possibility of re-opening commercial centres.

These resumption measures must be considered in consultation with the private sector as the holy month of Ramadan approaches.

Protocols issued by Dubai Economy will require malls to operate at 30 per cent capacity after reopening, with people aged above 60 and children aged 3-12 prohibited from visiting. 

Authorities have not announced when malls may reopen.

Similar guidance has been issued by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, which said malls may reopen between noon and 9pm.

Covid-19 in the Mena region:

(23 April 2020)

COUNTRYLATEST UPDATES

Saudi Arabia               

Covid-19 pandemic latest:

  • Total confirmed cases: 12,772
  • Recoveries: 1,812
  • Deaths: 114

Actions to slow the spread of Covid-19:

  • 21 April: Curfew timings changed to 9am-5pm during Ramadan for cities under total lockdown.
  • 20 April: General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques says it will extend the suspension of prayers at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan.
  • 20 April: Jeddah Municipality installs thermal cameras to monitor workers and customers at shopping centres. 
  • 18 April: 34 citizens and residents arrested for flouting curfew restrictions as interior ministry announces unified permits for outdoor movement. 
  • 17 April: Saudi Arabia's grand mufti Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Al-Sheikh says Taraweeh and Eid prayers are to be performed at home as a coronavirus precaution.
  • 15 April: Ministry of Interior isolates Al-Atheer district in Dammam, banning entry and exit and imposing a 24-hour curfew until further notice. Residents are allowed to leave their houses for essential needs such as healthcare and food supplies from 6am to 3pm.
  • 12 April: Taraweeh prayers might be suspended in mosques in Saudi Arabia during the holy month of Ramadan, local newspaper Al-Riyadh reported, citing the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah & Guidance.
  • 11 April: Interior ministry spokesperson says King Salman ordered the extension of curfews across Saudi Arabia “until further notice” before the expiry of the 21-day curfew measure that started on 23 March.
  • 10 April: Islamic University in Madinah launches programme to support coronavirus-related research and studies in different fields, including legal studies related to epidemics and pandemics; studies featuring Saudi Arabia’s efforts to combat the spread of the virus; and the economic impact of these illnesses.
  • 10 April: Interior ministry locks down Qurban, Al-Shuraybat, Bani Dhafar, Bani Khidrah, Al-Jumuah and part of the Al-Iskan areas in Madinah to curb Covid-19, with residents barred from leaving their homes.
  • 10 April: Delivery app workers provided permission to operate around the clock during curfew periods.
  • 8 April: Health ministry launches app to monitor condition of suspected Covid-19 patients.
  • 7 April: Interior ministry brings forward closure plans for previously unaffected parts of the kingdom, allowing residents to leave their homes only for medical or food supplies locally between 6am and 3pm.
  • 7 April: Health minister says compliance with curfew and social distancing guidelines will influence whether the eventual number of coronavirus cases in Saudi Arabia is as low as 10,000 or as high as 200,000, warning residents to follow ministry orders to stay home.
  • 6 April: Interior ministry applies 24-hour curfew to Riyadh, Tabuk, Dammam, Dhahran, Hofuf, and the provinces of Jeddah, Taif, Qatif and Khobar.
  • 5 April: Health ministry says results of a Google Maps Covid-19 Community Mobility Report are “very concerning” as the individual mobility rate in Saudi Arabia remains above 40 per cent. Spokesperson Mohammed al-Abd al-Aly urges people to stay home, saying one infected patient could cause 30-70 cases.
  • 4 April: Interior Ministry imposes 24-hour curfew on seven neighbourhoods in Jeddah governorate.
  • 3 April: Curfew imposed in Dammam, Taif and Qatif until further notice.
  • 1 April: Ministry of Health issues shopping guidelines.

Measures to minimise the economic crisis:   

  • 19 April: Qassim Governor Prince Faisal bin Mishaal bin Abdul Aziz inaugurates initiative allocating SR250m ($66m) in phase 1 to help families in Buraidah affected by the measures taken to fight the pandemic.
  • 19 April: Nazaha, the kingdom's Control & Anti-Corruption Authority, says it has opened a financial and administrative corruption case involving two senior employees at the General Directorate of Health Affairs in the Riyadh region, a hotel owner and six other individuals who are charged with exploitation of the government’s expenditure to contain Covid-19 and providing quarantine areas for repatriated citizens.
  • 18 April: Saudi Agriculture Fund announces action plan worth SR2bn ($533.3m) to support local food security and production.
  • 15 April: General Organisation for Social Insurance urges employers to register as beneficiaries of Saned programme to support payments for Saudi workers in the private sector.
  • 15 April: Maaden contributes SR15m to health ministry’s fund to contend with Covid-19.
  • 15 April: King Salman approves package of additional stimulus measures, including SR50bn to expedite the payment of the dues of the private sector; a 30 per cent reduction in electricity bills for consumers in the commercial, industrial and agricultural sectors in April and May, with the possibility of extension if needed; and SR47bn in additional funding for healthcare. Other initiatives include paying the minimum salaries of Public Transport Authority-registered independent workers in the passenger transport sector, and requiring companies in which the state owns more than 51 per cent of the capital to prioritise the local market and direct their offers and purchases to the benefit of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
  • 14 April: Cabinet ministers decide that the suspension of international flights will not affect the validity of unused tourist visas.
  • 14 April: General Authority for Civil Aviation launches a general exception allowing the extension of licence validity, and attestations and certificates for aircrew, trainers, examiners and flight dispatchers, in accordance with terms and conditions that ensure an acceptable level of safety.
  • 14 April: Thirty-three Saudi scientists and researchers assembled and funding allocated for a Ministry of Health programme to find a vaccine for Covid-19.
  • 13 April: Saudi companies and individuals have contributed almost SR1bn ($266m) in cash and kind to the Ministry of Health’s coronavirus fund. The energy sector has contributed about SR500m and Saudi banks have contributed almost SR160m. 
  • 12 April: Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (Sama) directs banks to extend the validity of ATM cards that have expired, or are about to expire, until 2 June.
  • 12 April: Ministry of Human Resources & Social Development announces adding article 41 to the labour law recently, which includes restricting the use of force majeure as a justification for dismissal for six months following the start of announcing the precautionary measures in the kingdom. Companies benefiting from the Saned scheme’s payouts for employee salaries are not allowed to terminate Saudis due to force majeure, and for employers that did not benefit from Saned system, termination due to lack of force majeure is not permitted either.
  • 11 April: General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques reveals it is providing more than 4,000 online services aimed at ensuring the quality of work in the mosques.
  • 11 April: The Saudi Ministry of Human Resources & Social Development will allocate SR500m ($133m) to the Saudi Fund for Development to help people struggling with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, including the elderly, widows, the disabled, families of prisoners, divorced women, students and stranded Umrah visitors.
  • 8 April: General Directorate of Passports will extend the validity of exit and return visas that expire between 25 February and 24 May at no charge.
  • 7 April: Saudi Arabia suspends prison sentences in debt cases and King Salman orders temporary release of debtors currently in jail.
  • 7 April: SR7bn ($1.86bn) allocated to the Health Ministry following earlier SR8bn support package combat the pandemic, and another SR32bn has been approved for health facilities, health minister says.
  • 6 April: Ministry of Human Resources & Social Development says Saudi private-sector employers whose businesses are affected by Covid-19 are permitted to cut their employees’ wages and working hours after employees have consented. Employers who have benefited from state subsidies such as the SR9bn ($2.4bn) fund created last week to compensate Saudi workers for the effects of Covid-19 may not terminate employment contracts, but employees retain this right.
  • 5 April: King Salman requests to hold Shoura Council sessions and committee meetings remotely.
  • 5 April: Qassim Governor Prince Faisal bin Mishaal oversees emergency meeting to review measures supporting local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
  • 5 April: General Authority of Civil Aviation chairman and Saudi transport minister Saleh al-Jasser says work is under way to repatriate Saudi citizens stranded abroad.
  • 4 April: King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology opens fast-track grant programme to develop coronavirus research.
  • 4 April: Resident identity cards of expatriates in Saudi Arabia to be automatically extended for three months at no extra charge, the General Directorate of Passports says.
  • 3 April: King Salman issues royal decree ordering the allocation of SR9bn ($2.4bn) to compensate citizens working in facilities affected by repercussions of the pandemic. The royal decree exempts Saudis working in the affected private sector facilities from articles 8, 10 and 14 of the Unemployment Insurance (Sanad) scheme.
  • 1 April: Ministry of Human Resources & Social Development has allocated SR17bn ($4.5bn) to deal with the economic and employment fall-out from Covid-19, with measures including fee exemptions for expat workers whose residency permits (iqama) expire before 30 June, and disallowing forced unpaid leave without employees’ consent.
  • 1 April: Ahmad bin Suleiman Al-Rajihi, Minister of Human Resources & Social Development and chairman of the General Authority of Awqaf, inaugurates SR500m community fund to contend with Covid-19’s effects, including SR100m from the awqaf authority and SR50m from the labour ministry.
  • 1 April: Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) contributes SR30m and the company’s contractors, suppliers and other partners add SR24.65m to support the Health Endowment Fund.
As of 10.30 GST, 23 April 2020. Click here for Covid-19 updates in Mena during March 2020.
UAE

Covid-19 pandemic latest:

  • Total confirmed cases: 8,238
  • Recoveries: 1,546
  • Deaths: 52

Actions to slow the spread of Covid-19:

  • 23 April: Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) starts 48-hour sterilisation of public bus services.
  • 21 April: BIE Executive Committee recommends postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai.
  • 20 April: Immensa Technology Labs 3D-prints face masks and shields at facility in Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park.
  • 19 April: Emirates Fatwa Council discusses jurisprudence updates for Covid-19 during Ramadan.
  • 19 April: Etihad Airways' catering team provides meals for people impacted by Covid-19.
  • 18 April: Abu Dhabi Clinics opens two Covid-19 testing facilities for workers in Musafah industrial areas.
  • 17 April: Dubai's Supreme Committee of Crisis & Disaster Management extends sterilisation programme by a week.
  • 15 April: Dubai’s Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing extends the shutdown of hotel establishments, floating restaurants, social venues and other event venues until further notice.
  • 15 April: Sharjah Economic Development Department prohibits transfer of labour outside the emirate, restricts their movement within Sharjah, and says it will prevent the entry of non-resident workers into the emirate.
  • 15 April: Emirates announces on-site Covid-19 tests for passengers departing from Dubai, with results available in 10 minutes.
  • 14 April: Real estate developer Nakheel and government-backed Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation complete sterilisation programmes for their assets in Dubai.
  • 13 April: Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and Injazat Data Systems launch app to provide healthcare services remotely.
  • 13 April: Companies are no longer permitted to send workers out of Abu Dhabi and must limit their travel to within Abu Dhabi, Al-Ain and Al-Dhafra, capital city's Department of Economic Development says. The entry of workers from other emirates into Abu Dhabi is also no longer permitted.
  • 10 April: Abu Dhabi Police distributes face masks and personal protective supplies among residents of a number of areas in Abu Dhabi, including Musaffah, Mafraq, Shawamekh and Al-Ain City and to thousands of construction workers.
  • 10 April: 129 violators of quarantine measures referred to attorney general.
  • 9 April: Abu Dhabi Health Services Company opens 13 drive-through Covid-19 testing centres.
  • 9 April: UAE announces suspension of prayers in all places of worship across the country until further notice.
  • 8 April: Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid al-Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman and Chairman of the Executive Council, announces a second package of economic incentives focused on sectors including foreign trade, customs, tourism and real estate.
  • 7 April: UAE Cabinet approves formation of Supreme National Committee for Volunteerism During Crises as part of measures to combat Covid-19.
  • 7 April: Dubai Health Authority expands its medicine home delivery service to cover all of the UAE, and Department of Health – Abu Dhabi licenses pharmacies to make home deliveries in the capital city.
  • 6 April: Etihad Airways to test airport technology to help identify medically at-risk travellers.
  • 5 April: Dubai Free Zones implement remote working and federal authorities launch initiative for private sector employees wishing to return home while the UAE implements precautionary measures to curb Covid-19.
  • 4 April: Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) extends temporary closure of commercial centres, shopping malls, cinemas, electronic game halls (arcades) and other entertainment destinations in Abu Dhabi until further notice.
  • 4 April: Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management extends national sterilisation programme to 24 hours a day for two weeks, subject to renewal.
  • 4 April: Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority suspends Dubai Metro and Dubai Tram.
  • 3 April: Ministries of health and interior extend national disinfection programme launched on 26 March, with each emirate to draw up and implement its own plans for the sterilisation drive that restrict outdoor movement between 8pm and 6am.
  • 2 April: UAE renews suspension of entry for all foreign nationals holding valid UAE residence visas.
  • 1 April: Ministry of Interior suspends federal and local permits and online vehicle applications for outdoor movement during the daily disinfection programme.

Measures to minimise the economic crisis:   

  • 23 April: Dubai Economy launches guidelines for reopening of select businesses as Ramadan 2020 approaches.
  • 22 April: Dubai World Trade Centre Authority launches support package, including penalty waivers for event cancellations, rent cancellations for tenants impacted by Covid-19, payment deferment packages for start-ups and SMEs, fast-tracked vendor payments and 50-70% rebates on license and registration fees for free zone tenants.
  • 22 April: Abu Dhabi Executive Council forms Abu Dhabi Workers Committee to ensure private sector organisations are in compliance with labour legislation. This includes ensuring work contracts are valid, that workers’ rights are being upheld, and that they are receiving payment for their work.
  • 21 April: Cabinet forms team to study the optimal use of government buildings and facilities and the possibility of converting them into medical facilities. A separate group, headed by the UAE’s minister of state for food security and members of the public and private sector, was also formed to develop the agriculture sector in the UAE.
  • 20 April: Dubai Economy fines seven traders, including three pharmacies, for tampering with face mask prices.
  • 20 April: Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment processes 47 requests to waive citizens’ mortgages installments, worth AED17.7m in total.
  • 19 April: Dubai Silicon Oasis offers incentives and exemption packages for business partners and residents.
  • 19 April: Group of 20 researchers, scientists and engineers assembled to produce vital medical equipment to combat Covid-19.
  • 19 April: Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry launches platform to assist private sector.
  • 15 April: Field hospital with capacity of up to 3,030 beds to be created within Dubai World Trade Centre.
  • 15 April: Aster Pharmacy to offer medicines at cost price to visitors stranded in the UAE due to Covid-19.
  • 15 April: Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) offers three months of base rent relief to retailers at Gate Avenue, Gate Village and Gate District.
  • 15 April: Dubai fire safety products company Naffco contributes AED1m to  Community Solidarity Fund Against Covid-19.
  • 14 April: Federal Tax Authority announces exceptional one-month extension to tax period. Excise tax registrants are required to file two separate tax returns, one each for March and April 2020, and settle the total amount due for both months by 17 May 2020.
  • 14 April: Dubai Economy exempts nine food-related activities from closure during the National Disinfection Programme.
  • 14 April: Authority of Social Contribution (Ma’an) says 1,030 rooms have been offered to accommodate doctors, nurses and other medical professionals and support staff working to fight Covid-19. These spaces are in properties including the Millennium Group, Royal Rose, City Seasons, Park Rotana, Ayla (Al-Ain City) and Millennium Capital Gate hotels, and the International Academic School.
  • 14 April: Dutco Group provides AED15m to Community Solidarity Fund.
  • 13 April: Federation of the UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry says it stands by the Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation (Mohre) decision on countries not responding to repatriation requests.
  • 12 April: New central bank governor Abdulhamid Saeed calls on banks to confirm their participation in the Targeted Economic Support Scheme aimed at supporting businesses and individuals during the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • 12 April: Federal export credit company Etihad Credit Insurance commits to providing guarantees and insurance solutions to mitigate the political and commercial risks arising from financing or refinancing export transactions, on behalf of the UAE government.
  • 12 April: Labour ministry source says authority is considering revising partnerships on labour relations with nations refusing to cooperate with evacuation measures undertaken by the UAE to repatriate private sector expatriates who wish to return home.
  • 12 April: Ministry of Economy reduces fees for 94 services, including those related to innovation, business activities, investment, production, trade and import and export activities.
  • 12 April: Ras Al Khaimah developer Al Hamra is to roll out 20 per cent cuts in cooling consumption charges from April 2020, benefiting the residents of the Bayti Villas, the Royal Breeze Residences, the Marina Apartments, the Golf Apartments and Bab al-Bahr Residences.
  • 11 April: Emirates Islamic, part of the Emirates NBD Group, contributes AED10m to support the Community Solidarity Fund Against Covid-19 launched by the Islamic Affairs & Charitable Activities Department in Dubai.
  • 10 April: First Abu Dhabi Bank partners with Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) to provide meals to frontline health workers as ERC allocates AED5m to support distance learning.
  • 9 April: Dubai’s Department of Finance ordered a 50 per cent cut in capital spending and asked to delay new government construction projects to mitigate financial impact of Covid-19, Bloomberg reports.
  • 8 April: UAE Cabinet adopts resolution to grant paid leave to select categories of Federal Government employees.
  • 7 April: Aldar Properties to cut 20 per cent of school fees, refund payments made towards catering and transport expenses for the third term of the current academic year for students enrolled in the Aldar Academies and Cranleigh Abu Dhabi schools, and contribute AED10m for remote learning programmes.
  • 6 April: Emirates NBD and Emirates Islamic contribute AED2m each to support Ministry of Education’s remote learning initiatives.
  • 6 April: Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority unveils support package, including a six-month waiver of all touristic licences, a waiver of tourism dirhams from March to May, and exempting tourism licensing fees for the second and third quarters and tourism licensing fines until 30 September.
  • 6 April: Emaar Properties donates AED100m to support the Social Solidarity Fund Against Covid-19 launched by the Islamic Affairs & Charitable Activities Department in Dubai.
  • 6 April: Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry contributes AED20m to Authority of Social Contribution’s (Ma’an) Covid-19 relief programme.
  • 5 April: Sharjah Chamber urges property owners to reschedule rental payments due to Covid-19.
  • 5 April: Minister of Economy, Sultan bin Saeed al-Mansouri, says during cabinet meeting that local stimulus packages provided so far have a combined value of AED126.5bn, and ministry officials in charge of the national small- and medium-enterprise (SME) programme are working to reduce business costs for small firms.
  • 5 April: Ministry of Energy & Industry, Suhail bin Mohammed Faraj Faris al-Mazrouei, says 500 food and beverage plants registered with the ministry are currently operational to meet the domestic and export demand, and 70 other facilities will supply the medical sector with equipment, medicine, solutions and medical gases such as oxygen.
  • 5 April: Cabinet says IDs to be renewed without fines until the end of 2020, and approves the issuance of fundraising and mental health laws.
  • 4 April: Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) says public bus services will be free of charge for individuals permitted to leave their homes during the extended disinfection period, while Dubai Taxi vehicles and franchised taxis will offer a 50 per cent discount on normal fares.
  • 4 April: Securities and Commodities Authority provides listed companies an additional 45 days to file their financial statements for 2019 and the first quarter of 2020.
  • 3 April: General Civil Aviation Authority says repatriation flights to be temporarily permitted.
  • 2 April: Sharjah Charity International provides financial and in-kind support worth AED7.5m to families affected by Covid-19, of which AED2m is dedicated to the UAE’s anti-coronavirus fund.
  • 2 April: Gulftainer launches a service to prioritise the delivery of medical supply consignments.
  • 1 April: Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development and Abu Dhabi Global Market pledge corporate support to ease the economic impact of Covid-19, and Abu Dhabi Health Services dedicates Al-Ain Hospital to treat Covid-19 patients.
  • 1 April: Dubai Economy launches daily price tracker for staple food and essentials to curb price manipulation.
  • 1 April: Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority and the Sharjah Private Education Authority order schools to issue fee refunds.
As of 10.30 GST, 23 April 2020. Click here for Covid-19 updates in Mena during March 2020.
Bahrain

Covid-19 pandemic latest:

  • Total confirmed cases: 2,027
  • Recoveries: 1,026
  • Deaths: 7

Actions to slow the spread of Covid-19:

  • 21 April: Movie theatres, gyms, fitness studios, swimming pools and recreational centres, and salons to remain closed until 7 May.
  • 20 April: Authorities in the Capital Governorate, in cooperation with the Police Directorate, start the first evacuation and transfer operations of expatriate workers from central Manama to a temporary shelter in Ain Adhari Park.
  • 19 April: At least 19 suspects to stand trial for violating anti-coronavirus measures after being referred to the Public Prosecution by the Public Health Directorate.
  • 14 April: Northern Governor Ali bin Abdul Hussain al-Asfoor and representatives from the Bangladeshi embassy review efforts to reduce the density of expatriate workers at their places of accommodation. On 7 April, Bahrain detected 55 new Covid-19 cases in the kingdom, of which 41 were found at a labour accommodation. 
  • 14 April: Lower Criminal Court sentences two defendants to three months in jail and orders house arrest during the imprisonment period for violating procedures enforced in the kingdom to curb Covid-19.
  • 9 April: Health Minister Faeqa bint Said al-Saleh suspends BD7 medical consultation fee, stipulated in edict 2 of 2017, on health fees for non-Bahrainis to consolidate Covid-19 precautionary measures in the country.
  • 8 April: National Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus (Covid-19) to launch drive-through testing at Bahrain International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
  • 7 April: Supreme Council of Health says closures of movie theatres, gyms, swimming pools, shisha cafes, salons and non-essential medical services to remain effective on 9-23 April. Restaurants may only conduct deliveries and public gatherings are to remain limited to five individuals or fewer during the period. All citizens and residents are required to wear face masks while in public.
  • 5 April: Bahrain rolls out e-bracelets and a tracking app to ensure individuals required to self-isolate are complying with health orders. The bracelet will notify the monitoring station when the wearer is 15 metres away from their phone and a warning will be sent. Violators face legal penalties under Public Health Law No. 34 of 2018, including potentially being sentenced to imprisonment for a period not less than three months or a fine of BD1,000-10,000, or both penalties.
  • 2 April: Civil Service Bureau confirms rate of remote working employees at ministries, entities and government departments to be increased to 70 per cent from 5 April. 

Measures to minimise the economic crisis:  

  • 20 April: Cabinet approves 30 per cent spending cut and rescheduling of construction projects to free up funds to combat Covid-19.
  • 20 April: Bank ABC Group announces $10m fund for Covid-19 pandemic relief across the Mena region.
  • 18 April: Sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat and associate companies contribute BD9m to Feena Khair campaign to combat Covid-19. Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) and Batelco contributed BD3.5m each, the National Bank of Bahrain provided BD2.5m, and Bahrain Airport Services Company and Bahrain Real Estate Investment Company (Edamah) each contributed BD100,000.
  • 16 April: Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad al-Khalifa, His Majesty King Hamad’s Representative for Humanitarian Work & Youth Affairs, National Security Advisor and Chairman of the Royal Humanitarian Foundation, donates BD1m to national anti-coronavirus campaign.
  • 15 April: Amlak Social Insurance Organisation Development Company, the real estate arm of the Social Insurance Organisation, creates fund to financially support impacted tenants.
  • 13 April: Flag carrier Gulf Air repatriates Bahrainis from the UAE, Oman, Jordan, Egypt and Turkey.
  • 12 April: Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier, leads launch of donations campaign to support national Covid-19 efforts.
  • 8 April: Plans announced to pay BD215m ($569.3m) in April-June wages for 100,000 citizens employed in the private sector, waive rents and allowances from tenants of municipal properties and double social security benefits.
  • 7 April: Reopening of commercial and industrial businesses providing goods or services directly to customers has been permitted provided employees and visitors wear face masks, overcrowding is prevented, sterilisation is carried out and queueing is arranged with social distancing guidelines in mind. Private sector companies are encouraged to continue working remotely where possible and limit employee numbers within offices.
  • 2 April: Ministry of Industry & Commerce fixes face mask prices to curb gouging.
  • 2 April: Labour Market Regulatory Authority terminates monthly work fees and fees for issuing and renewing work permits for three months from 1 April.
As of 10.30 GST, 23 April 2020. Click here for Covid-19 updates in Mena during March 2020.
Kuwait

Covid-19 pandemic latest:

  • Total confirmed cases: 2,248
  • Recoveries: 443
  • Deaths: 13

Actions to slow the spread of Covid-19:

  • 20 April: Partial curfew extended for 16 hours a day and national holiday declared until 28 May 28, with the ministries of interior and information told "to name and shame those violating home quarantine and curfew", government spokesman Tareq Al-Mezrem said.
  • 17 April: Interior ministry says outdoor activities, including exercise, continue to be prohibited in residential areas during the curfew, especially between 5pm and 6am.
  • 15 April: Four emergency wards established in five days at Mubarak al-Kabeer, Al-Adan, Al-Farwaniah and Al-Amiri hospitals.
  • 14 April: Kuwait Diabetes Institute and Kuwait University’s simulation of the spread of Covid-19 in the country anticipates the coronavirus to peak in Kuwait around mid-May before its growth curve descends.
  • 14 April: Kuwait Fire Service Directorate installs disinfection machines at land checkpoints and the airport to sanitise incoming trucks and hardware.
  • 14 April: Interior ministry says 40 violators of the nationwide partial curfew imposed on 22 March were recently referred to the courts.
  • 11 April: State Audit Bureau approves 12 contracts for sites to be used as quarantine areas for repatriating Kuwaitis, and discussions are under way to also use hotels for quarantine.
  • 12 April: Ministry of Defence to prepare three locations in Jleeb al-Shuyoukh to be used as a field hospital and quarantine area.
  • 10 April: Pharmacies providing home delivery of medicines licensed for 24-hour operations.
  • 7 April: Minister of Public Works, Rana al-Fares, says quarantine facilities for expats in Al-Jahra, South Sabahiya and Abdaly will be ready in the coming days.
  • 6 April: Partial curfew extended by two hours and lockdown imposed on the Mahboula and Jleeb al-Shuyoukh areas, which reports say are densely populated by expats. Employers that compel their Mahboula-based workers to leave their homes will face legal action, interior ministry says, adding police forces are monitoring the area.
  • 6 April: Government extends curfew until 26 April.
  • 3 April: Sanitisation drive intensifies in capital Kuwait City.
  • 1 April: Cabinet closes car workshops and reduces worker numbers at consumer cooperative society outlets.

Measures to minimise the economic crisis: 

  • 19 April: State Audit Bureau reviews 322 items related to Covid-19 with a total value of KD600m ($1.9bn), including 87 health ministry requests and contracts worth KD137m ($439m) in total.
  • 15 April: Ministry of Interior grants visitors with temporary residency visas a three-month pardon, effective 1 March to 31 May.
  • 14 April: Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) issues KD240m ($792m) of bonds and Tawarruq contracts. The issue's maturity period is three months with a return rate of 1.25 per cent. This comes after CBK issued bonds and Tawarruq worth the same amount, with a return rate of 1.375 per cent, for a six-month maturity period at the end of March.
  • 13 April: Kuwaiti cabinet approves phased repatriation of citizens from countries where Covid-19 has spread. The first of the plan’s five phases is due to be held on 19-20 April, covering Kuwaitis that have completed medical treatment abroad along with their companions, tourists or Kuwaitis that were on official assignments. The second stage (23 April) covers patients that need medical beds and life-support equipment. The third (25 April-1 May), fourth (3-4 May) and fifth (6-7 May) phases respectively cover students, diplomats and other Kuwaitis.
  • 13 April: Boursa Kuwait to delay self-listing on official stock market that was scheduled for 19 April.
  • 8 April: Kuwait army plane imports medical equipment and supplies from Ghuangzhou, China.
  • 6 April: Kuwait Municipality reduces number of commercial activities exempted from restrictions to nine from 17.
  • 5 April: Kuwait Municipality closes fish, cattle and sheep markets to the public. Slaughterhouses have also been closed and all fresh produce will now be sold through cooperative societies, supermarkets and retailers.
  • 4 April: Kuwait Banking Association chairman, Adel al-Majed, says Central Bank of Kuwait’s 1 April stimulus package makes KD5bn ($16.5bn) available for additional lending from local banks.
  • 1 April: Kuwait announces new round of economic relief measures, including soft long-term loans from local banks and loan repayment delays for companies affected by the Covid-19 crisis. The cabinet has also directed government agencies to pay private sector companies as soon as possible, and waived selected payment obligations for private firms.
  • 1 April: Kuwaiti Amir donates KD5m to recently launched Covid-19 fund on behalf of the Al-Sabah family.
As of 10.30 GST, 23 April 2020. Click here for Covid-19 updates in Mena during March 2020.
Oman

Covid-19 pandemic latest:

  • Total confirmed cases: 1,614
  • Recoveries: 238
  • Deaths: 8

Actions to slow the spread of Covid-19:

  • 20 April: Muscat lockdown extended until 8 May, and supreme committee forbids public gatherings and prayers inside mosques during Ramadan.
  • 16 April: Textile market in the southeastern governorate town of Jalan Bani Bu Ali, home to historic watchtowers and a fort, to be isolated until further notice. Health Minister Ahmed al-Saeedi says coronavirus cases could reach 500 a day at peak, which is expected during the week of 23 April.
  • 10 April: Ministry of Regional Municipalities & Water Resources calls for the closure of all industrial and commercial activities in the light industrial areas in the country, based on the decision of the Supreme Committee for dealing with coronavirus (Covid-19).
  • 8 April: Supreme Committee on Covid-19 to lock down and isolate Muscat from other governorates, with individuals not allowed to enter or exit the state on 10-22 April. Outdoor movement for essential shopping will be permitted and the movement of trucks, food supply and medical emergency services will be facilitated.
  • 8 April: Schools suspended and distance learning ordered until further notice, and Ministry of Education issues circular postponing all requests for resignations submitted by faculty members and related jobs from Omanis until the end of the next academic year.
  • 7 April: Oman’s Government Communications Centre denies Al-Sawadi in Barka has been closed.
  • 7 April: Sultan’s Armed Forces, Royal Air Force of Oman, Royal Navy of Oman and Royal Oman Police facilitate social enforcing measures across the sultanate.
  • 6 April: Muscat Municipality eyes direct import of goods at Al-Mawaleh Central Market.
  • 2 April: Dhofar Municipality starts sterilisation campaign.
  • 1 April: Muttrah locked out to curb spread of coronavirus.
  • 1 April: Muscat Municipality waives parking fees to encourage people to stay at home and uses drones to disinfect public facilities.

Measures to minimise the economic crisis: 

  • 22 April: Sezad says four locations have been prepared to isolate and provide healthcare services to Covid-19 patients in Duqm.
  • 19 April: Nama Group to establish RO300,000 ($777,685) fund to pay electricity dues for limited-income families in Oman.
  • 15 April: Supreme Committee issues decisions for Omani workers, such as postponing bank and financing loan repayments without interest for those whose salaries are reduced, and postponing utility bills until June 2020 and offering instalments for later payments. If necessary, companies may negotiate to reduce the wages of their employees for three months from May, in exchange for reducing working hours after exhausting the balance of paid holidays in full.
  • 15 April: Supreme Committee launches private sector benefits package that prohibits termination of Omani employees, requires social distancing at workplaces, reduces fees for renewing expat labour cards and approves preliminary work permits for temporary, part-time or secondment work. Non-Omani employees’ annual leave may be advanced and paid in full if they operate in the sectors terminally shut down. Expat workers may be laid-off and repatriated provided their dues are paid in full by the employer before their departure from Oman.
  • 14 April: Ministry of Finance issues financial circulars 11 and 12, which respectively order the rationalisation of spending in government companies during the 2020 fiscal year, and the lifting of exceptional bonuses granted to state officials. Circular 11 requires operational and investment spending cuts of at least 10 per cent, and more if possible. Circular 12 covers the cessation of all exceptional bonuses to all state employees in all government units.
  • 13 April: The period of free storage for shipments to the cargo terminal of Muscat International airport has been extended until 15 May. The airport’s cargo operations handler handler Transom SATS Cargo says the new free period for general cargo is 96 hours instead of 48 hours, and 72 hours instead of 24 hours for perishable cargo and dangerous goods.
  • 13 April: First of five weekly trips concludes to bring 500 tons of food items from Bandar Abbas to Oman’s Suwaiq Port.
  • 8 April: Oman Chamber of Commerce & Industry calls on banks to postpone loan instalments on companies and private sector workers without additional interest.
  • 6 April: Ministry of Commerce & Industry provides temporary permission to import food products, health items and goods without information printed in Arabic, as long as all explanatory data is written in English with the option of adding another language.
  • 3 April: Muscat operates cargo flights to India and China for food and medical supplies, respectively.
  • 30 March: Ministry of Finance issues new circular to all government companies on rationalisation of operational and investment spending. The royal order stipulates that all government companies cut their approved expenditures for 2020 by 10 per cent and cease the execution of new projects or capital expenditures for the year. Government entities have also been told to cease spending on all external training sessions, workshops and conferences and exhibitions, and to reduce the funds allocated for official tasks by not less than 50 per cent.
As of 10.30 GST, 23 April 2020. Click here for Covid-19 updates in Mena during March 2020.
Qatar

Covid-19 pandemic latest:

  • Total confirmed cases: 7,141
  • Recoveries: 689
  • Deaths: 10

Actions to slow the spread of Covid-19:

  • 8 April: Commercial activities barred on weekends with exceptions including restaurant deliveries, petrol stations, hotels, medical companies and construction contracting firms.
  • 21 March: Public parks and beaches closed. 
  • 18 March: Incoming passenger flights to Doha suspended for non-Qataris for a renewable period of two weeks.

Measures to minimise the economic crisis: 

  • 12 April: Bloomberg reports privately owned companies incorporated in Qatar can apply for three months of salary support for their workers under a programme for citizens and expat workers administered by Qatar Development Bank. The programme is worth about QAR3bn ($820m) and is part of Qatar’s QAR75bn economic stimulus package to contend with Covid-19.
  • 7 April: Qatar to postpone $8.2bn-worth of project contracts due to coronavirus, according to a bond prospectus, Reuters reports.
  • 6 April: Qatar Petroleum could seek to raise debt next year for its domestic North Field liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion and will postpone the start of production from its new gas facilities until 2025 following a delay in the bidding process, CEO Saad al-Kaabi tells Reuters.
  • 5 April: Qatar University launches emergency response grant with a budget of up to QR150,000 per research track and invites submissions for research proposals.
  • 1 April: Hamad International airport reduces number of onsite food and beverage, retail and ground staff by 40 per cent, with most working remotely or sent on annual leave.
  • 30 March: Qatari health ministry orders private healthcare institutions to halt non-emergency services, including dentistry, dermatology, cosmetic surgery and operations except for critical cases.
As of 10.30 GST, 23 April 2020. Click here for Covid-19 updates in Mena during March 2020.
Iran

Covid-19 pandemic latest:

  • Total confirmed cases: 85,996
  • Recoveries: 63,113
  • Deaths: 5,391

Actions to slow the spread of Covid-19:

  • 15 April: Study by Iranian parliament’s research centre states the country’s death toll from the coronavirus pandemic is likely to be nearly double the officially reported figures, due to undercounting and because not everyone with breathing problems has been tested for the virus, New York Times reports.
  • 4 April: Deputy health minister, Iraj Harirchi, says the greater Tehran area may face a coronavirus resurgence after many residents flouted advisories to stay home.
  • 30 March: Health ministry spokesperson, Kianush Jahanpur, says Iran is considering tougher curbs on movement to reduce spread of coronavirus.
  • 29 March: Iran extends prison furloughs until 19 April as coronavirus death toll rises.

Measures to minimise the economic crisis: 

  • 18 April: Government permits some businesses in Tehran to reopen. Gyms, restaurants, shopping malls and Tehran’s grand bazaar are to remain closed, with shrines and mosques also locked and a ban on public gatherings in place. Government offices have reportedly reopened, with a third of employees working from home, and schools and universities are still closed.
  • 15 April: President Hassan Rouhani assures Iranians of food supply stock as senior IMF official tells Reuters the country’s request for a $5bn emergency loan is taking time partly due to “the IMF’s limited engagement with Tehran in recent times”.
  • 11 April: Rouhani urges Iranians to continue to follow anti-coronavirus measures as “low-risk” business activities resume in most of the country, with work to resume in Tehran from 18 April.
  • 8 April: Iran urges the IMF to urgently approve its $5bn loan appeal as Rouhani says “there should be no discrimination” in approving requests.
  • 6 April: Supreme Leader of Iran, Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei, approves withdrawal of $1.08bn from country’s sovereign wealth fund to help fight pandemic.
  • 6 April: Foreign ministry spokesperson, Abbas Mousavi, says Iran will not ask Washington to support Tehran's fight against Covid-19, but added that “America should lift all its illegal unilateral sanctions on Iran”.
  • 5 April: Rouhani says Iran is to resume “low-risk” economic activity from 11 April, with Tehran resuming these activities from 18 April. Two-thirds of all Iranian government employees will work out of the office from 11 April, Rouhani reportedly said, adding that “high-risk” areas such as schools, universities and social venues would remain closed until 18 April.
  • 31 March: UN calls for the lifting of sanctions on Iran during coronavirus crisis as Europe sends medical goods to Tehran.
  • 28 March: President Rouhani says Iran is to allocate 20 per cent of its annual state budget to fighting the Covid-19 outbreak and orders state health insurance to cover 90 per cent of coronavirus-linked costs of patients. The IR1tn budgetary allocation includes grants and low-interest loans.
As of 10.30 GST, 23 April 2020. Click here for Covid-19 updates in Mena during March 2020.
Egypt

Covid-19 pandemic latest:

  • Total confirmed cases: 3,659
  • Recoveries: 935
  • Deaths: 276

Actions to slow the spread of Covid-19:

  • 19 April: Egyptian Armed Forces sterilise social venues in four Upper Egyptian governorates and the cities of Cairo and Hurghada.
  • 17 April: Egyptian Armed Forces carry out sterilisation works in Damietta, Port Said and Ismailia cities, while government imposes a 14-day lockdown on village in the Biyala city of the Kafr el-Sheikh governorate.
  • 14 April: The Saft Trab village in Gharbeya governorate has been quarantined for two weeks.
  • 13 April: Legal measures taken against a priest for holding mass despite the government's decision to ban religious gatherings.
  • 13 April: Face masks distributed and screening efforts ramped up at project sites within New Administrative Capital.
  • 12 April: Armed Forces provide free masks to citizens as authority reveals it has five manufacturing lines to produce 100,000 masks a day. The armed forces also carried out the third round of sterilisation activities in Cairo and Alexandria yesterday.
  • 12 April: Egypt’s Higher Education Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar says Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation to offer $200,000 prize for discovery of Covid-19 vaccine.
  • 8 April: Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly says Egypt is to extend its nationwide night-time curfew and keep social venues closed until 23 April, while airports to remain shut until the end of the month. Salaries of the prime minister and state ministers to be reduced by 20 per cent for three months.
  • 7 April: Public religious gatherings to be banned during the holy month of Ramadan.
  • 6 April: Project sites and worker areas in Egypt’s New Alamein city disinfected and armed forces sterilise Cairo’s Ramses area, Egypt Today reports.
  • 5 April: Banque du Caire closes part of its Nasr City headquarters after employee contracts Covid-19.
  • 4 April: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi postpones moving civil servants to a planned new administrative capital city to 2021 from 2020, and delays projects including the Grand Egyptian Museum and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation to next year.
  • 1 April: Seven buildings with about 150 employees are quarantined and sterilised in Port Said after new cases emerge.

Measures to minimise the economic crisis: 

  • 20 April: State-owned facilities to be used as temporary isolation areas with a total of 4,305 beds in Cairo, Alexandria, Dakahlia, Luxor, Assiut, Ismailia, Minia, Damietta and Qena governorates.
  • 19 April: Chairman and founder of Cleopatra Group, Mohamed Abul Enein, donates E£78m to combat Covid-19.
  • 17 April: Medical and Electronic Waste Management Project launched to manage healthcare waste in the country.
  • 16 April: Health Ministry says donations from civil society organisations and corporates have reached E£162m ($10.3m).
  • 14 April: Ministry of Social Solidarity says 100,000 families to join Takaful and Karama monetary subsidies programme as Egypt expands social safety network amid Covid-19. The families will receive the social allowance monthly from mid-April. At present, the programme covers about 2.4 million families.
  • 13 April: First batch of irregular workers that applied for financial assistance worth £E500 per month amid the coronavirus outbreak start to receive aid. The government has found 1.5 million workers eligible for the aid programme, part of Cairo’s £E100bn stimulus package during Covid-19.
  • 12 April: President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi orders transportation projects in Egypt to continue as a matter of national priority.  
  • 11 April: Presidency staff donate 20 per cent of their salaries to Tahya Misr fund to support informal industry workers affected by Covid-19.
  • 7 April: PresidentEl-Sisi orders Egyptian Armed Forces to distribute masks for free, asks employers to exempt older employees and women from attending work without pay cuts and says construction projects of national significance will not stop.
  • 6 April: Health minister allocates El-Sheikh Zayed hospital for Cairo University staff and workers infected with Covid-19.
  • 5 April: Egypt expects economic growth to slow to 4.5 per cent in the third quarter and to 1 per cent in the last three months of its 2019-20 fiscal year to June because of Covid-19’s economic impact, Planning Minister Hala al-Saeed says. Annual growth targets have been revised from 5.6 per cent to 4.2 per cent.
  • 1 April: Cairo orders manufacturers to channel medical protective equipment to public hospitals and announces £E1bn ($64m) in extra funding for its health services.
  • 31 March: Egypt reportedly excludes soap bars, shampoo, tissue papers and some crops and legumes from a resolution banning the export of essentials such as face masks.
  • 1 April: Investments in health sector planned to grow by 69 per cent to £E15.3bn in 2020-21, El-Saeed says according to Egypt Today.
As of 10.30 GST, 23 April 2020. Click here for Covid-19 updates in Mena during March 2020.
Iraq

Covid-19 pandemic latest:

  • Total confirmed cases: 1,631
  • Recoveries: 1,146
  • Deaths: 83

Actions to slow the spread of Covid-19:

  • 20 April: All businesses and factories, except restaurants, can re-open as long as they “commit to apply health prevention and no-gathering measures”, government reportedly says. The public sector will reopen with a quarter of its employees. Taxis and heavy trucks are allowed to operate, but schools and universities remain closed, and a curfew will extend through Ramadan, the National reports.
  • 16 April: Nationwide lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak extended until 23 April as government contends with Reuters articles that its true number of Covid-19 cases is far higher than is being reported.
  • 18 April: Nationwide curfew extended until 18 April, reports say.
  • 26 March: Iraq extends nationwide curfew until 11 April.

Measures to minimise the economic crisis: 

  • 31 March: Prime Minister Ayad Allawi thanks China for building a lab and donating equipment to test for Covid-19.
  • 28 March: Arshad al-Salhi, head of the Iraqi parliamentary Human Rights Committee, says government must draft a plan to distribute foodstuff and avoid a famine in the country.
As of 10.30 GST, 23 April 2020. Click here for Covid-19 updates in Mena during March 2020.
Jordan

Covid-19 pandemic latest:

  • Total confirmed cases: 435
  • Recoveries: 315
  • Deaths: 7

Actions to slow the spread of Covid-19:

  • 22 April: Ongoing curfew measures to remain in place during Ramadan, with essential employees to work from 10am to 3pm.
  • 19 April: Tafilah, Karak and Ma'an governorates to be isolated and gradually reopened from 22 April, Minister of State for Media Affairs, Amjad Adaileh, says. 
  • 19 April: Aqaba governorate to be locked down and isolated with commercial establishments to be allowed to resume work from 10am to 6pm. Universities, wedding halls, restaurants and mourning houses will be closed and public gatherings continue to be banned, Jordan's head of Covid-19 Crisis Management Group Operations, Mazen Farayah, says.
  • 15 April: Prime Minister Omar Razzaz issues Defence Order No. 7 for organising school and university education, vocational training and student evaluation mechanisms remotely, and Defence Order No. 8  for measures to protect public health and reduce the spread of coronavirus.
  • 14 April: Government says it will impose a full curfew in Jordan for 48 hours from Thursday to Saturday.
  • 14 April: Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf & Islamic Affairs says Taraweeh prayers during Ramadan to be performed only at home.
  • 12 April: Government extends month-long lockdown that has closed schools, universities and government agencies until 30 April.
  • 8 April: Shops and institutions previously exempted from national curfew to close for 48 hours on 9-11 April, Adaileh says.
  • 7 April: Adaileh says government may have to impose a comprehensive curfew for more than a day to enable epidemiological investigation teams to increase the effectiveness of their work.
  • 5 April: Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army to monitor curfew compliance using drones, and Marqab area of Amman city locked down as border closures extendedt until after Ramadan.
  • 3 April: One-day curfew imposed as measure to curb Covid-19, confining 10 million residents to their homes.

Measures to minimise the economic crisis: 

  • 22 April: Furniture and clothing shops allowed to reopen regardless of delivery service provisions. 
  • 16 April: New set of measures to be announced for the Jordanian economy, and social protection programmes for daily workers also due to be unveiled.
  • 14 April: National Aid Fund to launch a government-sponsored programme to help day labourers affected by weeks-long lockdown enforced following the outbreak of Covid-19. The cash assistance programme will serve about 200,000 families in its first stage.
  • 13 April: Tourism workers affiliated with the Ministry and the Department of Antiquities are exempted from paying rent, and at least JD10m will be allocated to maintain jobs in the local tourism sector. Minister of Tourism &d Antiquities, Majd Shweikeh, says government decisions could eventually result in about JD30m being contributed to the Jordanian tourism sector.
  • 9 April: Minister of Industry, Trade & Supply, Tareq Hammouri, says economic sectors will reopen if Jordan’s cases decline, with export commitments to be fulfilled after domestic demand is met.
  • 8 April: Prime Minister Omar Razzaz issues defence order stating that all workers in private sector institutions and establishments subject to the Jordanian Labour Law are paid wages for March. Full-time employees’ salaries may be cut by no more than 30 per cent if the reduction is mutually agreed upon and follows salary cuts in the higher management too.
  • 7 April: Telecommunications companies Zain, Orange and Umniah to reopen showrooms, except those within hypermarkets.
  • 7 April: Jordan Chamber of Industry representative says garment factories within industrial zones are to resume operations, with only foreign labourers permitted to work at present.
  • 7 April: Prime Minister Razzaz approves Amman Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh’s request to resume work on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects from 7 April.
  • 6 April: Jordan’s central bank governor Ziad Fariz says Covid-19 crisis has resulted in a sharp drop in demand and production, and that the tourism sector will require at a least a year to recover.
  • 5 April: Labour ministry to take legal measures against private sector entities that laid off 1,281 workers and employees at the end of March instead of following cabinet directives to send public and private sector employees on official paid leave without reductions to their annual leave balance, Roya News reports.
As of 10.30 GST, 23 April 2020. Click here for Covid-19 updates in Mena during March 2020.
Lebanon

Covid-19 pandemic latest:

  • Total confirmed cases: 682
  • Recoveries: 113
  • Deaths: 22

Actions to slow the spread of Covid-19:

  • 18 April: Health Minister Hamad Hasan says the country will begin mass coronavirus testing next week.
  • 11 April: Bcharri town goes under lockdown as local authorities administer coronavirus tests, local newspaper the Daily Star reports.
  • 31 March: Information Minister, Manal Abdel Samad, says a system has been established to allow overseas Lebanese to return home even as country remains in lockdown until 12 April.
  • 30 March: Saudi newspaper Arab News reports Lebanese lockdown may be extended by another fortnight to prevent Covid-19’s spread.

Measures to minimise the economic crisis: 

  • 21 April: Parliament approves $120m loan from the World Bank to fight Covid-19.
  • 17 April: Prime Minister Hassan Diab allocates $797m to cover the costs of Covid-19 in Lebanon.
  • 14 April: More than 200 Lebanese healthcare workers on the frontlines of the national fight against Covid-19 have been offered free places to stay in Beirut, UAE newspaper the National reports.
  • 8 April: Beirut requires net external financing of $10-$15bn over the next five years to help it through its financial crisis as the economy expects a loss of $83.2bn, according to a draft government plan seen by Reuters.
  • 6 April: Lebanese banks will apply an exchange rate of £Leb2,600 for withdrawals from accounts of up to £Leb5m, a central bank source reportedly says.
  • 6 April: Prime Minister Hassan Diab says Lebanon will audit its central bank’s accounts to show transparency after launching debt restructuring talks with creditors.
  • 3 April: Central bank says it is launching a foreign exchange unit to centralise the price of dollars for money-changers and separately confirms deposits of $3,000 or less can be withdrawn in Lebanese pounds at a “market” rate, allowing small depositors to cash out despite tight banking controls.
  • 30 March: Fady Gemayel, head of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, says cleaning supplies, disinfectants and food has been provided to 30 prisons in the country.
As of 10.30 GST, 23 April 2020. Click here for Covid-19 updates in Mena during March 2020.
Morocco

Covid-19 pandemic latest:

  • Total confirmed cases: 3,446
  • Recoveries: 417
  • Deaths: 149

Actions to slow the spread of Covid-19:

  • 19 April: Lockdown extended to 20 May.
  • 6 April: Face masks made mandatory and violators face prison sentences of up to three months and a fine of up to MD1,300.
  • 19 March: State of medical emergency declared for 20 March-20 April, with banks, fuel stations and other critical businesses exempted from the lockdown. 

Measures to minimise the economic crisis: 

  • 8 April: Morocco has drawn all $3bn of resources available under a precautionary liquidity arrangement with the IMF, worth about 3 per cent of its GDP, to limit the impact of Covid-19.
  • 8 April: National planning agency says Morocco’s economy will contract by 1.8 per cent in the second quarter after growing by 1.1 per cent in the first quarter.
  • 5 April: King Mohammed VI pardons 5,654 prisoners and orders measures to protect inmates from the Covid-19 outbreak.
  • 29 March: Bank al-Maghrib to allow banks to resort to all available refinancing means in Moroccan dirhams or hard currencies, extends refinancing deadlines and enhances small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) programme by merging operational and investment loans to support the local business community.
  • 27 March: MD1bn allocated for a special fund that also includes private donations to contend with Covid-19 and cover stipends worth MD800-1,200 for every head of household working in the informal sector whose activity was impacted by the lockdown to contain the virus.
As of 10.30 GST, 23 April 2020. Click here for Covid-19 updates in Mena during March 2020.
Libya

Covid-19 pandemic latest:

  • Total confirmed cases: 60
  • Recoveries: 15
  • Deaths: 1

Actions to slow the spread of Covid-19: 

  • 11 April: UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, says need for immediate end to hostilities in Libya discussed with Stephanie Turco Williams, the deputy head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).
  • 30 March: At least 466 prisoners reportedly freed to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Measures to minimise the economic crisis: 

  • 10 April: Libya receives medical supplies from Turkey’s National Defense Ministry.
  • 5 April: State of emergency continues in Libya as former Prime Minister  Mahmoud Jibril reportedly dies from coronavirus.
  • 14 March: Al-Sarraj government in Tripoli declares state of medical emergency and allots LD500m for anti-coronavirus measures.
As of 10.30 GST, 23 April 2020. Click here for Covid-19 updates in Mena during March 2020.
Tunisia

Covid-19 pandemic latest:

  • Total confirmed cases: 909
  • Recoveries: 190
  • Deaths: 38

Actions to slow the spread of Covid-19:

  • 19 April: Lockdown extended till 4 May.
  • 16 April: President Kais Saied announces second extension to nationwide lockdown.
  • 4 April: Tunisia’s parliament cedes some powers to the government for two months to help it handle the coronavirus crisis and the expected economic fallout, with Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh’s government to be allowed to issue decrees, strike purchasing agreements and seek finance without consulting parliament, Reuters reports.
  • 31 March: Tunisia extends lockdown by two weeks to 19 April as 1,420 prisoners are released to curb Covid-19.
  • 29 March: Interior ministry reportedly using unmanned robots to curb spread of Covid-19 and enforce curfew restrictions.

Measures to minimise the economic crisis: 

  • 14 April: Tunisia’s anti-corruption minister Mohammed Abbou says the government is working to retrieve funds that were allocated to poor families but seized by thousands of public employees, Asharq al-Awsat reports.
  • 11 April: Tunisia secures $745m IMF loan to contend with Covid-19.
  • 7 April: Donations sought to fund 250 intensive care beds to be placed in a sports hall in the capital as country tries to ramp up medical facilities in response to the coronavirus, Reuters reports.
  • 2 April: Tunisia may impose exceptional taxes on companies if the government does not find the funds needed during the coronavirus crisis, Prime Minister of Tunisia Elyes Fakhfakh reportedly said.
  • 1 April: Tunisian banks will suspend the distribution of 2019 dividends and allow customers to defer loan payments for three months as part of a package to ease the social and economic effects of the coronavirus, the central bank said.
As of 10.30 GST, 23 April 2020. Click here for Covid-19 updates in Mena during March 2020.
Algeria

Covid-19 pandemic latest:

  • Total confirmed cases: 2,910
  • Recoveries: 1,204
  • Deaths: 402

Actions to slow the spread of Covid-19:

  • 18 April: Lockdown extended by 10 days until 29 April as case numbers continue to rise.
  • 4 April: Algeria will extend curfews it has put in place to limit the spread of the coronavirus from 5 April. The curfew will last from 3pm until 7am in the capital Algiers and eight other provinces, and from 7pm until 7am in most other provinces.
  • 1 April: School and university closures extended.

Measures to minimise the economic crisis: 

  • 13 April: President Abdelmadjid Tebboune rallies local healthcare decision-makers to ensure that sufficient quantities of chloroquine are available in the country.
  • 7 April: Algerian central bank says commercial lenders are to defer or reschedule loan payments for firms that have been financially affected by the coronavirus crisis. Banks will continue to finance customers benefiting from loan payment deferrals, while reducing their minimum liquidity requirement to raise funding levels, according to Reuters.
  • 4 April: Algiers says all health products, medical equipment and staple foods will be taken from ports on arrival, and customs formalities will take place “at a later time”.
As of 10.30 GST, 23 April 2020. Click here for Covid-19 updates in Mena during March 2020.
Yemen

Covid-19 pandemic latest:

  • Total confirmed cases: 1
  • Recoveries: 0
  • Deaths: 0

Actions to slow the spread of Covid-19:

  • 11 April: Authorities in the southeastern Yemeni province of Hadramout move to curb Covid-19 in the port city of Al-Sheher by imposing further measures, where the country’s first case was announced on 10 April. A curfew from 6pm to 6am has been imposed in all cities of the province, and Hadramout governor Faraj Salmen al-Bahsani has urged residents to comply with the measures and stay indoors as much as possible.
  • 10 April: Yemen’s Ministry of Religious Endowment in Aden said mosques will be closed to mass prayers as well as Quran lessons, UAE newspaper the National reports after Yemen's first case is announced. Partial curfew and 14-day worker quarantine is imposed at Al-Sheher port, and the adjacent province of Al-Mahra has sealed off its entry points.
  • 1 April: More than 470 inmates freed to contain coronavirus, UAE newspaper the National reports.

Measures to minimise the economic crisis: 

  • 21 April: International Initiative on Covid-19, comprising multinational companies, says first 34-tonne shipment to reach Yemen next week, and contains 49,000 virus collection kits, 20,000 rapid test kits, five centrifuges and equipment that would enable 85,000 tests, and 24,000 Covid-19 nucleic acid test kits.
  • 10 April: World Health Organisation’s Yemen representative, Altaf Musani, says the organisation has provided 500 testing kits and dedicated 37 healthcare facilities as isolation units.
  • 8 April: United Nations humanitarian response plan for Yemen in 2020 to include $500m from Saudi Arabia and another $25m to combat the spread of Covid-19.
  • 5 April: Yemeni government ready to make prisoner swap with Houthis as negotiating team urges to finalise deal amid the coronavirus pandemic, UAE newspaper the National reports.
  • 4 April: Yemen to receive $26.9m from the World Bank to battle pandemic.
As of 10.30 GST, 23 April 2020. Click here for Covid-19 updates in Mena during March 2020.
Syria

Covid-19 pandemic latest:

  • Total confirmed cases: 42
  • Recoveries: 6
  • Deaths: 3

Actions to slow the spread of Covid-19:

  • 2 April: Syrian authorities seal major shrine that Iranian pilgrims are known to visit.
  • 29 March: Ban on commuting between provinces and all other urban and rural areas takes effect.

Financial measures to minimise the economic crisis:

  • 27 March: UAE offers to support Syria amid Covid-19 outbreak. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces tells Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad that Syria “will not be left alone during these delicate and critical circumstances”.
As of 10.30 GST, 23 April 2020. Click here for Covid-19 updates in Mena during March 2020.

A MEED Subscription...

Subscribe or upgrade your current MEED.com package to support your strategic planning with the MENA region’s best source of business information. Proceed to our online shop below to find out more about the features in each package.