BEIRUT – Iraq and Lebanon prepared Thursday to extend government-imposed restrictions on movement for two more weeks, the latest measures announced to stem the spread of the new coronavirus.
In Iran, the death toll jumped by 157 new fatalities, prompting new steps to limit public gatherings and domestic travel. In Saudi Arabia, authorities announced a total lockdown on the capital, Riyadh, and Islam's two holiest cities, Mecca and Medina, in addition to a nationwide curfew.
In the United Arab Emirates, authorities announced an overnight weekend lockdown and used drones to tell residents to stay home.
As countries in the region grapple with the fast-spreading virus, leaders of the world's most powerful economies were to convene virtually