An Iranian boy wearing a face mask chases pigeons on a street in Rasht, Iran, on Aug. 18, 2020. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)
--Iran's cases up to 361,150 with 20,776 deaths;
--Iraq reports highest 3,980 daily new recoveries;
--Turkey's total cases near 260,000;
--Israel's tally of infections rises to 104,472.
CAIRO, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases surpassed 360,000 in Iran on Monday. Meanwhile, Iraq reported the highest 3,980 daily new recoveries from the virus during the day.
Iran, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East region, reported 2,245 new cases, bringing the total number of infections to 361,150.
The pandemic has so far claimed 20,776 lives in Iran, up by 133 in the past 24 hours. A total of 311,365 coronavirus patients have recovered, with 3,848 still in critical condition.
In the mean time, 3,644 new COVID-19 cases were detected in Iraq during the past 24 hours, bringing the total nationwide infections to 207,985.
The death toll from the coronavirus in Iraq rose to 6,519 after 91 fatalities were added.
A man wearing a face mask buys bread in Baghdad, Iraq on Aug. 19, 2020. (Xinhua)
The Iraqi Health Ministry said that it has treated some 15,000 COVID-19 infections with plasma extracted from the blood of the recovered people since the outbreak of the virus.
Saudi Arabia announced 1,175 new cases and 42 more deaths, raising the tally of confirmed cases to 308,654 and the death toll to 3,691.
The kingdom also reported 2,745 more recovered patients, taking the total recoveries to 282,888.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in Turkey climbed by 1,443 to 259,692, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted.
The death toll from the coronavirus in the country rose to 6,139 after 18 new fatalities were added in the past 24 hours, Koca said, adding that the total recoveries increased to 237,908.
People wearing masks attend a wedding in Ankara, Turkey, Aug. 23, 2020. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)
In Qatar, 258 new cases of coronavirus infections were detected, increasing the total number to 117,266, including 194 deaths and 114,099 recoveries.
In Israel, 1,809 new COVID-19 cases were recorded, taking the tally of coronavirus infections to 104,472.
The death toll of the virus in Israel increased to 847 while the recoveries rose to 81,642.
An Israeli medical worker collects a swab from a man/woman for COVID-19 test in central Israel city of Tel Aviv, on Aug. 21, 2020. (Gideon Markowicz/JINI via Xinhua)
Oman's Ministry of Health announced 740 new cases of infections, raising the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 84,509, including 637 deaths and 78,912 recoveries.
Kuwait reported 432 new cases, bringing the country's total number of infections to 80,960, of whom 518 have died and 72,925 recovered.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced 275 new cases, raising the total confirmed cases in the country to 67,282.
The tally of recoveries in the UAE rose to 58,582 after 94 more patients have recovered from the virus and the death toll reached 376 with one more death.
In Morocco, the tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 53,252 after 903 new cases were added, which included 920 fatalities and 37,478 recoveries.
Palestine reported 553 new coronavirus cases, taking the tally of infections in the Palestinian territories to 25,588, including 16,210 recoveries and 147 deaths.
In Lebanon, the number of COVID-19 infections increased by 457 to 13,155, while the death toll went up by three to 126.
Tunisia recorded 75 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 2,893, including 1,454 recoveries and 71 fatalities.
In Jordan, 30 new COVID-19 cases and two more deaths were recorded, increasing the tally of cases to 1,639 and the death toll to 14. ■
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-08/25/c_139315060.htm