Coronavirus tally swells in Arab countries

By Adel Bin Ibrahim Bin Elha Elthabti and Muhammed Semiz

ISTANBUL (AA) - Health authorities Friday recorded more coronavirus cases and deaths in Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine.

In Tunisia, 70 more deaths and 1,223 new cases were reported over the past day. The country’s cases now stand at 84,995, while it has 2,611 fatalities and 59,334 recoveries.

Sixty-three new coronavirus deaths in Jordan raised the toll in the country to 2,116, according to health authorities. The country reported 4,940 new infections pushing the tally to 174,335, Jordanian Health Ministry said.

A total of 103,834 patients have recovered so far, the ministry said.

The Lebanese Health Ministry said 16 fatalities and 1,709 infections were registered, taking the country’s nationwide cases tally to 113,614. It has 884 deaths and 64,695 recoveries.

Eight more deaths were reported in Palestine, the country’s health ministry said in a statement.

A total of 1,472 more infections were registered over the past 24 hours; 718 in the West Bank and 754 in the Gaza Strip, according to the statement.

Friday’s figures raised Palestine’s overall count to 81,294 cases, including 684 deaths and 69,808 recoveries.

Since originating in China last December, the pandemic has claimed over 1.36 million lives in 191 countries and regions.

More than 57.24 million cases have been reported worldwide, while more than 36.69 million patients have recovered, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz