BEIJING, May 1 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

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SKOPJE -- The World Bank (WB) has approved a fund of about 98.5 million U.S. dollars to support North Macedonia in managing and mitigating the impact of COVID-19, Macedonian Information Agency (MIA) reported on Friday.

According to MIA, the fund will assist North Macedonia in its efforts to prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19, strengthen national systems for public health preparedness, and help mitigate the consequences of the pandemic.

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TOKYO -- A panel of medical experts has recommended that the Japanese government continue requesting the nation to continue to follow social restrictions to tackle the spread of the COVID-19 and they believe the state of emergency should be extended, government sources said Friday.

According to the sources, the panel made their assessment that the emergency period should be extended for at least one month beyond the current deadline of May 6, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe likely to announce the extension formally on Monday.

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CAPE TOWN -- South Africa on Friday announced this year's first break-bulk vessel shipment of citrus to China and Japan amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Baltic Patriot Vessel will leave South Africa later Friday with 4,521 tons of grape fruit and lemons destined for Chinese and Japanese markets, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development said in a statement.

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LONDON -- Britain's manufacturing sector saw a record slump in April amid the COVID-19 crisis as output, new orders and employment all contracted at the fastest rates in nearly 30 years, said a report published Friday.

The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the manufacturing sector dropped to 32.6 in April, down from 47.8 in March, as the outbreak of novel coronavirus hit the country's manufacturing sector and its supply chains, according to data published by IHS MARKIT/CIPS.

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DUBLIN -- Almost a quarter of businesses in Ireland have ceased trading during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey published by the country's Central Statistics Office (CSO) on Friday.

The results of an online survey of 3,000 businesses in Ireland, conducted by the CSO from March 16 to April 19, showed that in the period 0.6 percent of the businesses surveyed had ceased trading permanently, nearly 23.4 percent had ceased trading temporarily, and 76 percent continued to trade.

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SARAJEVO -- A batch of medical supplies, donated by eastern China's Shanghai city, has been delivered to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the Chinese embassy in BiH announced on Friday.

The medical supplies, which include 3,000 N95 masks and 18,000 KN95 masks, were handed over to Sarajevo mayor Abdulah Skaka a day earlier by the Chinese ambassador Ji Ping.

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LAGOS -- The Nigerian health minister has urged state governments to expedite efforts in setting up isolation and treatment centers as the country continues to report large number of new COVID-19 cases.

Cases are expected to surge in the coming days as testing ramps up, Minister of Health Osagie Ehanire said in a statement reaching Xinhua in Lagos, Nigeria's economic hub, on Friday. Enditem

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