What you need to know about the coronavirus right now By Reuters

(Reuters) – Here is what you want to know about the coronavirus ideal now:

Global haj pilgrims barred

Saudi Arabia stated on Monday it would bar arrivals from abroad for the haj this yr due to the coronavirus, making this the to start with calendar year in modern occasions that Muslims from close to the earth have not been allowed to make the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, a tenet which all Muslims aim to execute at minimum once.

Some 2.5 million pilgrims normally visit the holiest web pages of Islam in Mecca and Medina for the week-long haj. Formal data exhibits Saudi Arabia earns all-around $12 billion a yr from the haj and the lesser, 12 months-spherical pilgrimage recognized as umrah. International arrivals for umrah pilgrimages have also been suspended until finally further more see.

Ceramic made use of in spine implants inactivates coronavirus

Silicon nitride, a ceramic usually used in spinal implants for the reason that it kills microorganisms by releasing disinfectant chemicals from its floor, can also inactivate the new coronavirus, in accordance to a new study performed in Japan, which has not nonetheless been peer reviewed.

“Even more reports are required to validate these conclusions and investigate no matter whether silicon nitride can be included into own protecting tools and usually touched surfaces, as a method to discourage viral persistence and condition unfold,” the researchers reported.

Shares of ceramics enterprise SiNtx Systems Inc, which will make the silicon nitride powder, jumped 170% on the report.

(For Reuters’ suite of interactive graphics on the coronavirus, click on https://tmsnrt.rs/2GVwIyw)

Trend labels rethink technique to catwalks

French luxurious label Christian Dior stated on Monday it would press in advance with a calendar of fashion demonstrates for this year starting off in July with an Italian catwalk screen – but devoid of the celebrated front-row viewers of A-listers.

The coronavirus disaster has accelerated a rethink amid large-stop manufacturers of how collections are offered, with some opting out of pricey occasions and limiting the variety of apparel ranges they deliver.

Actively playing to the vegetation

Barcelona’s Liceu opera house reopened its doors on Monday for the initially time in above 3 months to hold a concert completely for a tranquil, leafy audience of nearly 2,300 household vegetation. Organisers reported the intention was to mirror on the absurdity of the human ailment in the period of the coronavirus, which deprives people today of their position as spectators.

The 6-moment “Live performance for the Biocene” featured a string quartet playing Italian composer Giacomo Puccini’s “Chrysanthemum”, chosen for its requiem-like sadness. Both of those before and following the six-moment overall performance, the 4 elegantly dressed musicians respectfully bowed to the “viewers”.