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- A lockdown will be reimposed on Friday on some 15 million people in the Indian city of Chennai.
- UN agencies warned that the coronavirus pandemic could lead to the deaths of an additional 51 000 under-fives.
- Norway's health authorities said they had suspended an app designed to help trace the spread of the new coronavirus.
India's Chennai city to reimpose lockdown as coronavirus surges
A lockdown will be reimposed on Friday on some 15 million people in the Indian city of Chennai and several neighbouring districts, state officials said, as coronavirus cases surge in the region.
"Full Lockdown from 19th for Chennai, Thiruvallur, Chengalpet & Kanchipuram districts," the Tamil Nadu state government tweeted on Monday.
It will be in place until the end of June.
India has gradually lifted a nationwide lockdown over the past few weeks even as new infections continue rising.
AFP
Iran warns may have to reimpose tough virus controls
Iran warned on Monday it may have to reimpose tough measures against the novel coronavirus to ensure social distancing, as it reported more than 100 deaths for a second straight day.
Health ministry spokesperson Sima Sadat Lari said 113 new fatalities took to 8 950 the total number of Covid-19 deaths since the country's outbreak began in February.
She also said another 2 449 people had tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours, taking the Islamic republic's overall caseload to 189 876.
Iran's government shut schools, postponed major public events and barred inter-city travel to stop the virus's spread in March before gradually easing restrictions from April.
Government spokesperson Ali Rabiei on Monday bemoaned the lack of social distancing among people at holy sites and on public transport.
AFP
Virus impact could kill over 50 000 children in MENA: UN
UN agencies warned on Monday that the coronavirus pandemic could lead to the deaths of an additional 51 000 under-fives in the Middle East and North Africa by the end of the year.
The World Health Organisation and United Nations children's agency UNICEF said the disruption of essential health and nutrition services risked "reversing progress (on) child survival in the region by nearly two decades".
"While we do not have many cases of Covid-19 among children in the region, it is evident that the pandemic is affecting children's health firsthand," the agencies warned.
"An additional 51 000 children under the age of five might die in the region by the end of 2020" in the case of rising malnutrition and a protracted lack of access to vaccinations and treatment for childhood diseases.
Such a number of extra deaths would represent an increase of almost 40% over pre-Covid-19 figures, they said in a joint statement issued in Amman.
AFP
Virus fence falls in Italy-Slovenia border town
As coronavirus border restrictions ease across Europe, a nettlesome fence on the Italy-Slovenia border came down on Monday, reuniting a town that had been divided for months.
The mayors of Gorizia in Italy and Nova Gorica in Slovenia cut a symbolic ribbon and hugged each other across the border to mark its full reopening.
"This is a symbolic day. Both Goricas have overcome the epidemic... and proved they share a common reality, unity," Nova Gorica Mayor Klemen Miklavic said before removing a section of fence on Europe Square.
"We are like a table with four legs, two are in Italy and two in Slovenia. If we lose two legs, the table can't stand anymore," added Gorizia Mayor Rodolfo Ziberna.
The fence was installed by Slovenian authorities in March after the country closed its borders, and was particularly symbolic as it ran along a part of the old Iron Curtain and evoked unpleasant memories among older residents.
The border with Italy - one of the countries hardest hit by the virus - was the last to come down, and people were finally allowed to cross into Slovenia on Monday with no restrictions.
AFP
Norway suspends virus-tracing app after privacy concerns
Norway's health authorities said on Monday they had suspended an app designed to help trace the spread of the new coronavirus after the national data protection agency said it was too invasive of privacy.
Launched in April, the smartphone app Smittestopp ("Infection stop") was set up to collect movement data to help authorities trace the spread of Covid-19, and inform users if they had been exposed to someone carrying the novel coronavirus.
On Friday, the data agency, Datatilsynet, issued a warning that it would stop the Norwegian Institute of Public Health from handling data collected via Smittestopp.
Datatilsynet said the limited spread of coronavirus in Norway, as well the app's limited effectiveness due to the small number of people actually using it, meant the invasion of privacy resulting from its use was disproportionate.
Camilla Stoltenberg, the public health institute's director, said she did not agree with that assessment, but the institute would now delete all the app's data and suspend its work.
