Middle East Experience

There will be no return to normal life, such as eating out at restaurants, attending a concert or watching a live sporting event, until at least the end of next year because there will be no coronavirus vaccine available until then, according to a top US medical expert.There has been a healthy debate in the US about when life might return to normal as patience wears thin with severe restrictions on movement and economic activity collapses, with millions of people out of work.“What I’m really frustrated by is sort of the White House approach of ‘we got to get back to normal, Easter, we got to have football season in September,’ all this that isn’t happening,” said Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, an oncologist at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School and one of the architects of Obamacare.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.“You are not going to be opening up the economy by the end of April. We have to prepare the country… This is an 18-month process. We need structural changes, not band aids of a few weeks, if you're a small business trying to plan for the 18 months, eight weeks just [isn’t going] to do it,” he said.“I don’t think we’re going to get a vaccine before next year and I would say out to the public or general immunity not until July, August, September timeframe in 2021. That’s kind of the optimistic reading. So 15 months, 18 months from now,” he added.US President Donald Trump on Thursday said the coronavirus outbreak had reached its peak and that the US economy was "going to do very well." His comments came just after his administration's top economic officials said they believed the US economy could start to reopen for normal business in May.US unemployment has risen by 16 million in three weeks.The novel coronavirus has infected more than 1.6 million people and killed more than 95,000 worldwide as of Friday, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.Read more:Coronavirus: US FDA approves malaria drugs for virus treatmentCoronavirus: US airline aid is ‘next big thing’ to be rolled out says MnuchinWhat history teaches us about the coronavirus pandemic
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: No return to normal life until the end of 2021, says US expert

Critics say the Lebanese government's figures are unreliable amid the coronavirus crisis, fearing severe strains on the health care system in case of a major outbreak of the novel virus.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Lebanon’s coronavirus response is working, yet faces challenges

Saudi Arabia reported 364 new coronavirus cases and three new virus-related deaths, the Ministry of Health announced on Friday.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page. The total number of confirmed cases in the Kingdom is 3,651, out of which 2,919 are currently active, the ministry added.Out of the new cases, 90 were recorded in Mecca, 78 in Medina, 69 in Riyadh, and 54 in Jeddah, the ministry said.Also read: ‘I could not leave’ says Saudi doctor on the frontlines of Italy’s coronavirus battleMeanwhile, the number of fatalities rose to 47, while th number of recoveries reached 685.The daily number of confirmed cases in Saudi Arabia has not peaked yet, and has been rapidly accelerating.Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Health had said earlier this week that four different studies showed that the number of coronavirus cases in the Kingdom could reach between 10,000 to 200,000 within weeks.The ministry spokesman emphasized the urgent need for citizens and residents to remain at home and maintain social distancing practices to ensure that the virus does not spread further.Read more:Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia cases could reach 200,000 within weeks, says ministerCoronavirus: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman extends expiring reentry visas for 3 months
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia confirms 364 new cases, three new deaths in 24 hours

A lockdown has been imposed on several neighborhoods in Saudi Arabia’s Medina, the Ministry of Interior announced on Friday in a statement.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The neighborhoods under a complete lockdown are: Ash-Shuraybat city, Qurban, al-Jumaa, Banidhafar, some areas of al-Iskan, and Bani Khidrah, the ministry added.The new restrictions are part of efforts in the Kingdom to curb the coronavirus outbreak, where the total number of confirmed cases rose to 3,651, out of which 2,919 are currently active.Movement is restricted in those areas and all citizens and residents must remain at home throughout the day, the ministry said.Home delivery will be allowed during the lockdown given that delivery services ensure that all preventative measures are being following, the ministry added.Also read: ‘I could not leave’ says Saudi doctor on the frontlines of Italy’s coronavirus battleDonation baskets of food and supplies, as well as medical supplies, will be donated across these neighborhoods to those in need, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development said.The ministry called on the public to adhere to instructions to ensure the health and safety of everyone in these areas.In Medina alone, a total of 475 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed.Cases have not peaked yet The daily number of confirmed cases in Saudi Arabia has not peaked yet, and has been rapidly accelerating.Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Health had said earlier this week that four different studies showed that the number of coronavirus cases in the Kingdom could reach between 10,000 to 200,000 within weeks.The ministry spokesman emphasized the urgent need for citizens and residents to remain at home and maintain social distancing practices to ensure that the virus does not spread further.Read more: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia confirms 364 new cases, three new deaths in 24 hoursCoronavirus: Saudi Arabia cases could reach 200,000 within weeks, says minister
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia imposes complete lockdown in some areas in Medina

The COVID-19 pandemic has officially struck Yemen, which war and poverty have left with a health care system in shambles.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: War-ravaged Yemen reports first case of COVID-19

The story of Israeli wine epitomizes the historic transformation Judaism is going through.;
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Celebrating freedom through Israeli wine

For Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, Yemen is too big to fail; for Iran, it’s a penny stock investment to keep the kingdom bogged down in a quagmire.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Will Iran back UN-Saudi initiative for cease-fire in Yemen?

The Health Ministry identified weeks ago that Israel's 260,000 senior living center residents are at the highest risk of becoming morbidly ill with the novel coronavirus.;
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Corona: Police investigating 'medical malpractice' at Mishan senior center

Thanks to the coronavirus crisis and high poll numbers, Benjamin Netanyahu is even better off than he'd hoped, but he still needs Blue and White leader Benny Gantz to get him back into the Prime Ministry.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Gantz has played into Netanyahu's hands

Jerusalem and Bnei Brak continue to have the highest number of COVID-19 cases * 2,876 soldiers are in isolation;
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Coronavirus patients surge past 10,000 - 95 people dead