Coronavirus tally swells in Arab countries

By Mohammed Yahya Ahmad Mohammed and Muhammed Semiz

ISTANBUL (AA) - Health authorities Thursday recorded more coronavirus cases and deaths in Saudi Arabia, Libya, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Kuwait and Qatar.

Officials registered 15 more deaths and 311 new cases in Saudi Arabia.

The Kingdom’s count now stands at 5,605 deaths and 352,160 infections as well as 339,114 recoveries.

The National Center for Combating Diseases in Libya registered 15 deaths, 919 cases and 605 recoveries.

Cases rose to 71,804, including 985 deaths and 42,703 recoveries.

Three more people died from the virus in the UAE, 1,136 new cases were reported and 773 people recovered, according to health officials.

Thursday's figure pushed the case count to 146,735, including 523 deaths and 141,215 recoveries.

The Health Ministry in Oman recorded five deaths, 256 cases and 417 recoveries. Those figures raised the total to 119,442 infections -- including 1,326 deaths and 110,050 recoveries.

The Kuwaiti Health Ministry registered four deaths as well as 773 cases and 688 recoveries.

Total cases rose to 134,932 -- including 830 deaths and 125,593 recoveries.

In Qatar, health authorities said one fatality and 245 fresh infections were recorded along with the recoveries of 227 patients.

Qatar's case tally stands at 135,132, including 234 deaths and 132,153 recoveries.

Since originating in China last December, the pandemic has claimed nearly 1.3 million lives in 191 countries and regions.

More than 52.4 million cases have been reported worldwide, while nearly 35 million patients have recovered, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz