129 more succumb in Iran

Tehran, March 16: Iran reported another 129 fatalities from the new coronavirus on Monday, the largest one-day rise in deaths since it began battling the Middle East’s worst outbreak, which has claimed more than 850 lives and infected a number of senior officials in the country.

Businesses in Iran’s capital remained open. Ayatollah Hashem Bathaei, 78, is the latest of several Iranian officials to have died. Cabinet ministers, members of parliament, Revolutionary Guard members and Health Ministry officials have caught the virus, compounding fears about Iran’s response.

Israel, where the number of confirmed cases has more than doubled to around 250 in recent days, has authorised the use of phone-snooping technology long used against Palestinian militants to track Covid-19 patients. Such practices will spark renewed debate over privacy issues.

Iraq announced a weeklong curfew late Sunday. People raced to supermarkets and swiftly emptied shelves, while others stocked up on cooking fuel. Iraq’s Health Ministry has reported 124 cases and nine deaths.

In Lebanon, where the government ordered a lockdown, traffic was thin and some streets empty.

Egypt has reported 150 cases, including 70 foreigners, and three deaths.

Jordan has said travellers arriving in the country will be quarantined at hotels on the Dead Sea and in Aqaba.

In Dubai, authorities announced that all bars and pubs would be closed through the end of the month and ordered people not to hold weddings or parties at homes. Community pools were also locked down.

In Saudi Arabia, the capital and other cities announced the closure of cafes, malls and parks, allowing only grocery stores and pharmacies to stay open and limiting eateries to delivery.