The number of Covid-19 cases in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region reached 19,398,297 on 5 April, according to Worldometers data collated by MEED.

Countries in the GCC account for 18.6 per cent (3,580,445) of all regional cases, while Iran’s 7,171,165 infections make up 37.3 per cent of the regional tally.

The advent of the holy month of Ramadan has seen more amendments introduced to Covid-19 protocols in the region, particularly for prayer times. The UAE has eased restrictions and Oman has amended curbs to ensure Covid-19 levels remain low.

In Bahrain, mask-wearing rules have been amended, and the country’s four-tiered system to monitor infection rates has also been scrapped.

Saudi Arabia
Saudi scientists have found mutations in coronavirus that could be helping it to reproduce, with their research expected to help develop new drugs or vaccines. The team of researchers, some from the King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, found two mutations that were associated with a larger viral load in patients. The Saudi study was published last month and reportedly based on 892 viral samples collected in the country between March and August 2020.

UAE
Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis & Disasters Committee, Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre have approved precautionary measures for Ramadan, including mask-wearing indoors, social distancing and frequent sanitisation of surfaces. People must bring personal prayer mats to mosques and only government and licensed entities may set up Ramadan tents.

Relaxed Ramadan rules in the UAE include a return to regular prayer times, daily mosque lessons and lectures, and permitting the distribution of bottled water. Taraweeh prayers performed at night during Ramadan may be held again, and during the last 10 nights of the holy month, tahajjud prayers will also be held from midnight at mosques. Copies of the Quran can now be provided in mosques after they have been sanitised and women’s prayer halls may resume.

Worshippers in the UAE can now pray in straight lines again instead of the alternating format introduced during the pandemic to maintain wider social distances. However, mask-wearing remains mandatory indoors, as does maintaining a physical distance of at least 1 metre.

Bahrain
Bahrain has scrapped rules for wearing masks and using them is now optional both indoors and outdoors, but healthcare workers must continue their use. The traffic light mechanism to monitor the spread of infection in the country has also been suspended, but all measures may be reactivated if deemed necessary.

Oman
Worshippers can conduct the taraweeh nightly congregational prayers at mosques during the holy month of Ramadan provided they are fully vaccinated, but other individuals, including children, will not be allowed. Mass gatherings for iftar and suhoor meals remain prohibited, but charity teams, private establishments and civil institutions may distribute meals without organising gatherings. Masks and social distancing remain mandatory indoors, and wedding and conference halls must continue to operate at 70 per cent capacity. Oman expects to make vaccines available for children in the first half of 2022.

Qatar
The Ministry of Public Health has approved the administration of a fourth booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for high-risk individuals, including those aged 60 years and above and those with chronic diseases that lead to immunocompromise. The fourth dose will be offered four months after the third dose.

Iran
Schools have fully reopened in Iran two years after the pandemic forced closures. Their reopening coincided with the first day of Ramadan and students and teachers were obliged to attend classes in person.  

Egypt
The Ministry of Health & Population will operate vaccination units and centres in two shifts – from 9am to 3pm and 7pm to 10pm – to ensure immunisation rates are maintained during Ramadan. The country has secured 150 million doses of eight vaccines since the start of the pandemic, Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, spokesperson for the health ministry, said earlier this week. Local company Vacsera has also produced shots of the Chinese Sinovac jab over the past year.

Tunisia
The World Bank last week approved $400m in additional financing for the Tunisian Covid-19 Social Protection Emergency Response Support project, which is expected to help 900,000 vulnerable households cope with the pandemic’s impact. The additional financing will sustain cash transfers to poor and low-income households. The parent project was approved in March 2021 and became effective three months later. The new tranche will reportedly increase the programme’s permanent cash transfers coverage from 260,000 to 310,000 beneficiary households.

Yemen
The World Bank has reportedly approved an additional $300m to support vulnerable households in Yemen. More than 9 million Yemenis are expected to benefit. The bank has allocated $2.5bn in aid for Yemen since 2016, and the new grant is expected to support the country’s pandemic response.

Representational lead image: Wam