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In Tuesday’s News briefing, The headlines are – UK, the government is under growing pressure to halt construction work to help fight the spread of Covid-19. 

Saudi Arabia has recorded its first coronavirus death. The kingdom warns the public to avoid gatherings.

US, Trump says ‘back to work’ for US people as he fights to reopen US economy. But the WHO warns the US could become the new epicentre of the virus as the country sees its deadliest day yet. 

China, Wuhan reports ZERO new coronavirus cases! The city is coming back to life as restrictions ease. 

Iran has rejected international humanitarian aid despite its coronavirus death toll, amid conspiracy theories and sanctions.

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The pressure to halt construction work grows

BBC News says the government is facing growing pressure to halt non-essential construction work to help tackle the spread of coronavirus in the UK. 

The Health Secretary said on Tuesday those who cannot do their jobs from home should go to work to “keep the country running.”

Construction work can continue as long as people are 2m apart. But critics have said public health should be prioritised over the economy. 

Former Tory cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith joined those calling for a pause to non-essential work. He told BBC Two’s Newsnight: “I think the balance is where we should delete some of those construction workers from going to work and focus only on the emergency requirements.”

Read the full story on BBC News

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Saudi Arabia records its first coronavirus death

Arab News says Saudi health authorities have urged citizens to avoid “even small gatherings” which could prove “very dangerous” in spreading the coronavirus. 

The warning came as the Kingdom reported its first coronavirus death. A 51-year-old Afghan resident in Madinah died – and 205 new cases of infection, the biggest single daily jump since the start of the outbreak.  

Ministry of Health spokesman Dr Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly urged people to stay indoors for as long as possible to help the kingdom’s efforts to slow the spread of the killer COVID-19. 

“We urge everyone to stay away from gatherings, whether these gatherings are of a limited number or not. Of course, gathering in larger numbers is undoubtedly very dangerous, but even in limited numbers inside houses or outside homes is very dangerous and we warn everyone of gatherings,” he said.

Read the full story on Arab News

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New York’s coronavirus cases spike, but Trump favours reopening the US economy

France24 says New York City reported 14,776 coronavirus case and 131 deaths, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday. The updated figures came as NY state’s governor warned the epidemic could hit harder than previously thought. And the World Health Organisation (WHO) warning the US it could emerge as the new epicentre of the global pandemic.

As President Trump states his case for reopening the US economy in a few weeks, New York’s major said that being too hasty to ease the limits on travel, socialising and working together would cost lives. 

“If you ask the American people to choose between public health and the economy, then it’s no contest. No American is going to accelerate the economy at the cost of human life,” he said.

Read the full story on France24

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China’s Wuhan reports ZERO new cases of coronavirus as the US sees its deadliest day with 160+ deaths

RT News says the city of Wuhan is coming back online, with no new cases of Covid-19 reported and residents resuming business as usual. But as China recovers, the US has seen its worst day yet, tallying 163 deaths.

For the first time since the virus spiralled out of control in Wuhan, they have reported zero new cases. The city’s revival comes as authorities in Beijing look to scale back a sweeping lockdown on Hubei province – of which Wuhan is the capital. 

The United States, however, appears to be bracing for the worst of its own Covid-19 outbreak. Tuesday marked the country’s deadliest day so far with more than 160 new fatalities as the virus sweeps all 50 states. 

Counting more than 53,000 cases – nearly 10,000 of them confirmed on Tuesday alone – the US has quickly become one of the world’s major coronavirus hotspots, threatening to soon overtake both Italy and China as the hardest-hit country. 

Read the full story on RT News

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Iran rejects international humanitarian aid despite the coronavirus death toll

Fox News says as Iran battles one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the world, its regime has rejected life-saving humanitarian aid from abroad.

On Sunday, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF),  the leading international medical humanitarian organization, announced that it had sent a 50-bed inflatable hospital and an emergency team of nine people to Isfahan “to increase hospital capacity for treating patients critically ill from coronavirus disease, also known as COVID-19.”

Furthermore, on Monday, the Iranian Embassy in France boldly tweeted that a “second shipment of MSF aid has left Bordeaux for Tehran today.”

Yet on Tuesday, the Tehran leadership rejected the help while repeating a whirlwind of conspiracies that the France-based NGO was part of a broader spy network and scheming to expel aid from the crippled country.

Read the full story on  Fox News

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