People wearing face masks shop at a bazaar in Rasht, Iran, on Aug. 18, 2020. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)
--Saudi Arabia's COVID-19 cases near 310,000;
--Turkey's tally surpasses 260,000;
--Iraq sees highest daily spike in infections in the region;
--Israel's total COVID-19 infections climb to 106,460.
CAIRO, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The total number of COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia came closer to 310,000 on Tuesday, while the tally in Turkey crossed the 260,000 mark, as the pandemic continued to rage in the Middle East.
Saudi Health Ministry reported 1,114 new infections, pushing the tally of confirmed cases in the kingdom to 309,768. Meanwhile, the death toll climbed to 3,722 after 31 more fatalities were recorded, while the total recoveries rose to 283,932 after 1,044 more patients were cured.
In Turkey, the total COVID-19 cases increased by 1,502 to 261,194 on Tuesday, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.
The death toll rose by 24 to 6,163, while the total recoveries soared by 887 to 238,795, Koca tweeted.
Iran, the hardest-hit country in the region, reported 2,213 new coronavirus infections, raising the tally of confirmed cases to 363,363.
Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman of Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, also confirmed 125 more deaths from the coronavirus, raising the death toll to 20,901.
She said so far a total of 313,058 patients have recovered from the disease, while 3,839 are in critical condition and treated in the intensive care units.
A man wearing a face mask buys bread in Baghdad, Iraq on Aug. 19, 2020. (Xinhua)
Iraq's Health Ministry reported 3,962 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily spike in infections in the region on Tuesday, bringing the total nationwide infections to 211,947.
It also reported 77 more fatalities, raising the death toll to 6,596, and 3,372 new recoveries, taking the tally of recoveries to 153,761.
Falih al-Ziyadi, a member of the parliamentary health committee, said in a press release that currently there is no specific time for the end of the pandemic, while calling on the citizens to adhere to the health instructions to curb further spread of the disease.
Israel's total COVID-19 infections climbed to 106,460 on Tuesday, with the addition of 1,988 new cases, the state's Ministry of Health said.
The death toll from the virus rose by 12 to 859, while the total number of recoveries reached 83,822, with 2,180 new recoveries, the ministry said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Israel's COVID-19 project manager Ronni Gamzu warned in a video briefing that the morbidity situation in Israel is one of the most serious in the world. He added that the possibility of imposing a general lockdown in Israel is still on the table.
People wearing face masks are seen in Casablanca, Morocco, on Aug. 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Chadi)
In Morocco, 1,276 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Tuesday, taking the total infections in the North African country to 54,528.
The Moroccan health ministry reported 35 new deaths, taking the death toll to 955, and 815 new recoveries, bringing to 38,293 the total number of recoveries in the country.
Palestine recorded 585 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total infections to 26,162 in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, while the death toll rose to 150 with the addition of three new fatalities.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday announced 339 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total cases in the country to 67,621, including 377 deaths and 58,754 recoveries.
Qatar's Health Ministry announced 232 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 117,498, including 194 deaths and 114,318 recoveries.
Jordan on Tuesday reported 77 new cases, the highest daily spike since the pandemic outbreak in the country, bringing the total cases to 1,716, including 14 deaths.
Kuwait reported 613 new COVID-19 cases and one more death, raising the tally of infections to 81,573 and the death toll to 519.
The Kuwaiti Health Ministry also announced the recovery of 477 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 73,402.
A worker prepares tea for customers at a cafe in Al-Mubarakiya market in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Aug. 23, 2020. (Xinhua/Asad)
Omani Health Ministry said that the number of COVID-19 cases rose by 143 to 84,652, including 642 deaths and 79,147 recoveries.
Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections increased on Tuesday by 532 cases to 13,687, as the death toll went up by 12 to 138.
Lebanese Health Minister Hamad Hassan urged the Lebanese society to be highly aware of the dangers of the virus and take proper precautions to prevent the infection with the coronavirus.
Tony Ramy, head of Lebanon's Syndicate of Restaurants Owners, announced that the tourism industries will not shut down anymore despite the lockdown measures, citing their high losses since the COVID-19 outbreak.
Libya's National Center for Disease Control on Tuesday reported 272 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 11,281, including 203 deaths and 1,112 recoveries.
Jordan reported 77 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily increase so far, bringing the tally of cases to 1,716, including 14 deaths, Health Minister Saad Jaber said at a press conference in Amman. ■
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-08/26/c_139317881.htm