A couple wearing masks walk on Lake Tuz in the central Anatolian region of Turkey on June 16, 2020. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)

--Iran's COVID-19 cases over 190,000;

--Turkey's COVID-19 cases over 180,000;

--Saudi Arabia sees new cases over 4,000 for 3 days in a row;

--Chinese team ends mission to help Palestine against COVID-19.

CAIRO, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 continues to rage in the Middle East as numbers in the two worst-hit countries, Iran and Turkey, showed no slowdown, while Saudi Arabia saw over 4,000 new cases for three days in a row.

On Tuesday, Iran reported 2,563 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number in the country to 192,439.

Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said that 115 people died overnight from the virus, raising the total fatalities to 9,065.

So far, a total of 152,675 patients have recovered and 2,815 others remain in critical condition, said Lari.

Iran topped the list in terms of confirmed cases in the Middle East again on June 7 after Turkey posed slowing down increases while the numbers remarkably rebounded in Iran amid easing of restrictions.

People wearing face mask walks on a street in Tonekabon city northern Iran, on June 6, 2020. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)

Nevertheless, Turkey seems also facing huge pressure on preventing another wave of the pandemic after stepping up the back to normal process since June 1.

Turkey reported 1,467 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, raising the tally to 181,298, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.

This marked the sixth consecutive day with over 1,000 new cases in Turkey, which had witnessed three-digit daily rises for nearly two weeks.

And 17 more deaths were recorded, pushing the death toll to 4,842, Koca said, adding the total recoveries rose by 1,015 to 153,379 in the country.

As the third worst-hit country in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has been suffering the fastest rises in new cases in the region for dozens of days.

After registering over 3,000 new positive cases of COVID-19 for eight days in a row, Saudi Arabia has seen daily new infections over 4,000 for the third consecutive day on Tuesday.

It registered 4,267 new COVID-19 cases, raising the tally of infections in the kingdom to 136,315.

The death toll increased to 1,052 after 41 new fatalities were added, and the total recoveries stood at 89,540.

Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila (C) and Palestinian officials seen during honoring ceremony for Members of a Chinese medical team, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, June 16, 2020. (Xinhua/Ayman Nobani)

Also on Tuesday, a Chinese medical expert team concluded a mission to support Palestine's fight against COVID-19.

The team, which arrived in Palestine on June 10, was put together by China's National Health Commission with the members selected by the Chongqing Municipal Health Commission.

Prior to this visit, China had sent medical supplies to Palestine and organized several meetings between Palestinian and Chinese medical experts via video conferences.

On Tuesday, Palestine announced that 11 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed, bringing the total number of infection cases up to 700.

Qatar's Health Ministry announced 1,201 new COVID-19 cases, increasing the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 82,077.

Meanwhile, 1,780 more people recovered from the coronavirus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 60,461, while four more people died, increasing the fatalities to 80, the official Qatar News Agency reported, quoting a statement by the ministry.

A man receives a coronavirus test at a drive-through testing site a drive-through testing site in Cairo, Egypt on June 15, 2020. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

Kuwait on Tuesday reported 527 new cases of COVID-19 and five more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 36,958 and the death toll to 303, said its Health Ministry.

Currently, 8,449 patients are receiving treatment, including 194 in ICU. The ministry also announced the recovery of 675 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 28,206.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced 346 new COVID-19 cases and two more deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 42,982 and death toll to 293.

The ministry added that 732 more patients made full recovery from the virus, taking the tally of the UAE's recoveries to 28,861.

Egypt confirmed the same day 1,567 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total cases registered in the country since mid-February to 47,856, said the Egyptian health minister.

Meanwhile, 94 patients died from the novel coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 1,766, and 401 COVID-19 patients recovered, increasing the total recoveries in the country to 12,730.  ■

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-06/17/c_139144559.htm