Pakistan Considering Phased Reopening of Schools

The latest COVID-19 information and statistics for the Middle East and North Africa

Pakistan could reopen its educational institutions in stages starting on September 15, in line with a recommendation by the body handling the country’s coronavirus pandemic, which met on Thursday.

The National Command Operation Center, which coordinates the country’s COVID-19 strategy, says universities should open their doors first, followed by colleges and schools.

The final decision on the date is likely to come after a meeting scheduled for September 7, according to the Gulf News. All schools will have to ensure that COVID-19 protocols are in place before that decision is made.

Kuwait

Kuwait on Thursday had 674 new coronavirus cases and one additional death, the Health Ministry spokesman, Dr. Abdullah Al Sanad, announced. The new infections took Kuwait’s total case count to 82,945, and the confirmed death brought the number of fatalities from the virus to 522.

The Health Ministry also announced that 616 more patients had recovered from the disease, bringing total recoveries to 74,522.

A partial nationwide curfew is scheduled to be lifted on Sunday.

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates reported 491 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, lifting the total number of infections in the Gulf state to 68,511. No new deaths were reported. The country saw 378 deaths from the disease.

The UAE also reported 68,043 new tests and 402 recoveries over the previous 24-hour period, bringing the total number of recovered COVID-19 patients to 59,472 as of Thursday, with 8,661 active cases.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia on Thursday reported 30 more COVID-19 deaths, bringing the kingdom’s total to 3,785.

The Health Ministry confirmed 1,019 new cases, taking the total number of infections to 311,855.

The total number of recoveries in Saudi Arabia increased by 1,019 to 286,255.

Jordan

Organizers of social gatherings and celebrations in Jordan risk being detained amid a rise in the country’s coronavirus cases.

Administrative governors have been instructed to take strict measures against organizers of events exceeding 20 people, Arab News said, citing a report by the state news agency Petra. Interior Minister Salameh Hammad said that violators would be detained “administratively” for two weeks.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers for the Middle East and North Africa as of 17:00 UTC on Thursday.