People eat at a hawker centre in Singapore on June 19, 2020, as restrictions to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus are eased. (ROSLAN RAHMAN / AFP)

NEW YORK / SEOUL / KABUL / DUBAI / TOKYO / SINGAPORE / KUWAIT CITY / HANOI / DOHA / CHENNAI / NEW DELHI / BEIRUT / SINGAPORE - Friends and lovers reunited in Singapore on Friday as the city-state lifted strict curbs on socialising, shopping and dining out after more than two months of coronavirus lockdown.

Many residents have been forbidden from mixing with those outside their families since early April under measures to contain infections that have passed 41,000 - one of Asia’s highest tallies.

Some restaurants - previously allowed only to offer takeaways and home deliveries - set up plastic screens between tables while yellow tape kept people apart in long queues outside shops.

Singapore won plaudits for its early containment efforts but after a surge in imported cases and outbreaks in cramped migrant dormitories it enforced one of the world’s strictest lockdowns.

The lockdown is being lifted in stages. In the first, at the start of June, schools resumed. Gyms, parks and beaches can now reopen but religious congregations, bars, theatres and large-scale events cannot yet.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan reported 346 new COVID-19 cases within the past 24 hours on Friday, bringing the total tally to 27,878 cases, the Ministry of Public Health confirmed.

"Within the past 24 hours, 893 suspected cases were tested, out of which 346 tested positive in 12 provinces of Afghanistan's 34 provinces," the ministry said in a statement.

Two COVID-19 patients succumbed to the virus, taking the number of people who lost their lives due to COVID-19 to 549 since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country.

The number of people recovered stands at 7,962 after 302 patients recovered during the period.

Australia

A third day of inflated new COVID-19 cases in the Australian state of Victoria on Friday has caused concern over a plan to reduce social distancing restrictions along with the rest of the country starting from Monday.

Victoria's infection total rose by 13 to 1,792, following 21 new cases on Wednesday, the biggest jump in over a month. Eighteen new cases were recorded on Thursday, eight of which were locally transmitted.

Basgladesh

Bangladesh reported 3,243 new COVID-19 cases Friday, dipping from Thursday's high of 3,803.

Senior Health Ministry official Nasima Sultana said in a media briefing on Friday afternoon that 45 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours across the country.

"The total number of positive cases is now 105,535 and death toll stands currently at 1,388 with the fresh fatalities of 32 men and 13 women," she added.

India

India reported a record daily jump in the number of novel coronavirus cases on Friday as Chennai locked down following fresh outbreaks there.

Given India’s high population density, experts have long worried that a sustained COVID-19 outbreak would lead to pressure on its stretched healthcare system.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lifted most restrictions that were part of a nearly three-month nationwide lockdown on June 8, despite the continuing rise in cases.

India's federal health ministry on Friday said 336 new deaths due to COVID-19, besides fresh 13,586 positive cases, were reported during the past 24 hours across the country, taking the number of deaths to 12,573 and total cases to 380,532.

This is the highest single day spike in terms of number of new COVID-19 cases in the country so far.

Indonesia

The COVID-19 cases in Indonesia rose by 1,041 within one day to 43,803, with the death toll adding by 34 to 2,373, Achmad Yurianto, a Health Ministry official, said at a press conference here on Friday.

He also said that 551 more people had been discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 17,349.

Customers (left) purchase face masks made by Japan's Fast Retailing Co. at a Uniqlo store in Tokyo's Ginza shopping district on June 19, 2020. (KAZUHIRO NOGI / AFP)

Iran

Iran's tally of confirmed coronavirus cases topped 200,000 on Friday, as state media continued to warn about a lack of proper social distancing despite a new surge of infections.

Daily deaths have exceeded 100 most of this week, for the first time in two months. The Health Ministry announced 120 deaths in the previous 24 hours, taking the total to 9,392, and 2,615 new cases for a total of 200,262.

State television showed several families picnicking without masks or social distancing. Reminded about the fact that one person was dying every 12 to 15 minutes, an unidentified family father said: "My daughter was getting depressed. We really had to get out of the house."

The parliamentary research centre issued a report in April suggesting that the actual number of coronavirus deaths might be almost twice the official figure.

Iraq

The Iraqi Health Ministry reported 83 deaths from COVID-19, the highest daily record so far, raising the total fatalities in the country to 856. 

Meanwhile, 1,463 new COVID-19 cases were recorded, bringing the tally of infections to 25,717, the ministry said.

Israel

The Israeli Ministry of Health reported 253 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total infections in Israel to 20,036.

The death toll from the coronavirus remained at 303, while the number of patients in serious condition increased from 36 to 38, the ministry said.

READ MORE: Japan to lift domestic travel restrictions Friday

Japan

Japan on Friday completely lifted its request for people not to travel across prefectural lines, with the move met by a return of passengers to airports and train stations.

The nationwide state of emergency for the entire country was lifted late last month, however the government had requested that people continue to refrain from making unnecessary trips across prefectural borders.

The government hopes that with the final easing of travel restrictions, local economies will benefit from increased patronage and the virus-battered tourism sector will get a much needed boost.

While travel and other restrictions were lifted Friday, health ministry and local officials said that 55 new COVID-19 cases had been confirmed nationwide, with 35 of them in Tokyo.

This brings Japan's total number of COVID-19 cases to 17,814, excluding those related to a cruise ship that was previously quarantined in Yokohama.

Japan's death toll from the pneumonia-causing virus now stands at a total of 955 people, the latest figures showed.

Of the 35 new cases in Tokyo, 19 have no known infection route and 11 of them are employees and customers from nighttime entertainment establishments, the Tokyo metropolitan government said. 

Kuwait

Kuwait on Friday reported 604 new cases of COVID-19 and five more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 38,678 and the death toll to 313, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

The new cases included 313 Kuwaiti nationals and 291 residents of other nationalities, the statement said.

Currently, 8,175 patients are receiving treatment, including 193 in ICU, according to the statement.

The ministry also announced the recovery of 678 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 30,190.

Kuwait decided on Thursday to ease the restrictions next week which were imposed to contain the spread of the COVID-19.

These measures include shortening curfew hours in the country and lifting a lockdown on areas of Hawally, Nuqra, Maidan Hawally and some blocks in Khaitan.

Lebanon

Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections increased on Friday by 15 to 1,510, while death toll remained 32, the National News Agency reported.

The Lebanese Red Cross and various institutions conducted awareness sessions in southern Lebanon aimed at training people on how to live safely with the virus.

Malaysia

Malaysia will partially reopen its borders to those holding certain employment passes while allowing its citizens to exit the country for emergency, work and study purposes.

Foreigners earning at least 10,000 ringgit (US$2,340) a month, as well as those holding professional visit passes and resident talent passes with top management positions, may enter Malaysia without needing immigration’s approval, Defense Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob told a press conference on Friday.

Malaysians may travel overseas by showing proof of their travel purpose to immigration officers at airports, he said.

The reopening follows the country’s gradual phasing out of lockdown measures that were imposed since March to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Malaysia first allowed most economic sectors to resume operations on May 4 before letting nearly all activities to start on June 10 as the number of new infections eased in recent weeks.

A woman wearing a face mask walks through an underground shopping area in central Seoul on June 2, 2020. (JUNG YEON-JE / AFP)

Mongolia 

Mongolia reported three new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, taking the national count to 204, the country's National Center for Communicable Disease (NCCD) said Friday.

"A total of 339 tests for COVID-19 were conducted across the country yesterday and three of them were positive," the NCCD's head Dulmaa Nyamkhuu told a daily press conference.

Myanmar

A total of 23 new imported COVID-19 cases were reported in Myanmar on Friday morning, bringing the total number of infections to 286 in the country, according to figures released by the Ministry of Health and Sports.

The newly confirmed cases are returnees who were under quarantine after their recent arrivals from Thailand and Malaysia.

Nepal

The Nepali government reported two new deaths and record high new COVID-19 cases in a single day on Thursday as the Himalayan country is seeing rapid rise in both deaths and cases in recent days.

With the new deaths, the death toll in Nepal reached 22, according to the Ministry of Health and Population. "A 46-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman from far-western Kailali district died due to COVID-19," spokesperson at Nepal's Health Ministry Jageshwor Gautam told a press briefing.

Meanwhile, with 671 new cases in the last 24 hours, the number of total COVID-19 cases in Nepal reached 7,848, according to the ministry.

Palestine

Palestine on Friday recorded 20 new coronavirus cases in the West Bank, bringing the total number in the Palestinian territories to 815.

Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila said in an emailed statement that 18 cases were founded in the city of Hebron, one in Bethlehem city and one in Nablus city.

Qatar

Qatar's health ministry on Friday announced 1,021 new infections of COVID-19 , increasing the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 85,462.

"Some 1,767 people recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 65,409, while seven others died, increasing the fatalities to 93," the official Qatar News Agency reported, quoting a statement by the ministry.

It revealed that infections had doubled due to people's gatherings and visits, and ignoring of preventive measures recommended by the government, the most important of which are staying at home and maintaining social distancing.

A total of 313,501 persons in Qatar have undergone lab tests for COVID-19 so far, it added.

Saudi Arabia

The number of coronavirus cases in Saudi Arabia exceeded 150,000 on Friday following a rise in new infections over the past 10 days.

The Saudi Ministry of Health reported 4,301 new cases on Friday, taking the total to 150,292, with 1,184 deaths. The country hit more than 100,000 cases on June 7.

The number of new infections has continued to rise in recent weeks, as authorities began phasing out restrictions on movement and travel on May 28.

The restrictions were imposed in March to help curb the spread of the virus. Authorities announced last month that the nationwide curfew would be lifted completely on June 21, with the exception of the holy city of Mecca and Jeddah.

Saudi Arabia’s numbers are the highest in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which have recorded 366,677 cases and 2,072 deaths.

Singapore

Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 142 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 41,615.

Of the new cases, 97 percent are linked to known clusters, while the rest are pending contact tracing.

Some 747 more cases of COVID-19 infection have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities. In all, 33,459 cases have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospitals or community care facilities, the ministry said.

There are currently 212 confirmed cases who are still in hospitals. Of these, most are stable or improving, and two are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

The MOH said 7,918 people are isolated and cared for at community facilities. These are those who have mild symptoms, or are clinically well but still test positive for COVID-19 . Twenty-six people have died from complications due to COVID-19 infection.

South Korea

South Korea reported 49 new infections, taking the tally to 12,306, data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention showed. South Korea once had the world’s second-worst COVID-19 outbreak, but it was quelled without ever having to lock down cities or impose heavy restrictions on social gatherings. 

It’s now using lessons from a new series of clusters to ready itself for what officials say will be an inevitable second wave of infections.

Medics check the details of passengers, who were stranded following the closure of border due to the COVID-19 pandemic, upon their arrival to the Syrian side of the Semalka border crossing in northeastern Syria on May 30, 2020. (DELIL SOULEIMAN / AFP)

Syria

The United Nations Security Council is considered a proposal to reopen a border crossing from Iraq into Syria for six months to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to help millions of Syrian civilians combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Germany and Belgium gave the council a draft resolution on Wednesday that would extend approval for the Turkish border crossings for one year and reopen the Iraq crossing for six months.

The draft text also gives the council an option to extend the approval for the Iraq crossing for another six months based on an evaluation of the impact of the coronavirus in Syria by UN chief Antonio Guterres later in the year.

“Failure to renew cross-border aid will cause unnecessary suffering and deaths, and COVID-19 could spread like wildfire,” said Louis Charbonneau, UN director for Human Rights Watch.

ALSO READ: Australia says borders likely to stay closed until 2021

Thailand

Thailand's Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Thursday rejected the initial "travel bubble" proposal, for fear that waiving 14 day quarantine for inbound travelers may lead to a second wave of COVID-19 infections.

"We cannot afford to take any chance on second wave of infections," said CCSA spokesman Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin, "there has not been a single new case domestically for 24 days, while those who have imported infections are being kept under state-controlled quarantine."

Thailand on Friday reported five new coronavirus cases, all of which were found in quarantine, making it 25 days without a confirmed domestic transmission of the virus.

The Philippines

The number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged to 28,459 after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 661 more infections on Friday.

The DOH said in its bulletin that the number of recoveries further rose to 7,378 after 288 more patients have survived the disease.

The death toll also increased to 1,130 after 14 more patients have succumbed to the viral disease, the DOH added.

Turkey

Turkey's confirmed novel coronavirus cases on Thursday increased by 1,304 to 184,031. The death toll surged to 4,882 after 21 more deaths were confirmed.

For the seventh day in a row, Turkey has recorded a spike in the number of coronavirus infections following the easing of restrictions.

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said that Turkey decided to impose limited curfew on weekends in June as part of the measures to prevent the crowds on the streets during upcoming high school and university admission exams.

Meanwhile, wearing masks outdoors have become mandatory in Turkey's three large cities including Ankara and Istanbul, as well as the northwestern city of Bursa, to better cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced 388 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 43,752.

UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention also confirmed three more deaths, pushing the country's death toll to 298.

Vietnam

Vietnam reported seven new cases of COVID-19 infection on Friday, bringing its total confirmed cases to 349 with zero death so far, according to its Ministry of Health.

The latest cases are all Vietnamese citizens recently returning to the country from Europe on a same flight, said the ministry, noting that they have been quarantined upon arrival and are being treated in Hanoi.

One more patient was given all-clear on Friday, bringing total cured cases in the country to 326, according to the ministry.