UPDATE 2 - Coronavirus tally rises in 12 Arab states

UPDATES WITH FIGURES FROM ALGERIA AND MAURITANIA; REVISES HEADLINE, LEDE

ISTANBUL (AA) - Health authorities in Lebanon, Tunisia, Morocco, Palestine, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) confirmed new deaths and infections from the novel coronavirus on Tuesday.

In Lebanon, the Health Ministry said a patient with a chronic disease lost her life to the disease, bringing the country's death toll to 12.

A ministry statement said 17 new infections were seen on Tuesday, bringing the total coronavirus cases in Lebanon to 463.

Tunisia's Health Ministry put the death toll from the virus at 10 and confirmed 362 cases after registering 50 new infections.

In Morocco, health authorities said 18 people were diagnosed with the virus, bringing the total coronavirus cases to 574.

A total of 33 people have so far died from the virus in the North African country.

In Palestine, a government spokesman confirmed 117 coronavirus cases, including 10 infections in the Gaza Strip.

In the Gulf state of Bahrain, 52 cases were recorded, raising the total to 567, including four deaths and 296 recoveries.

Kuwait’s Health Ministry confirmed 23 cases, bringing the total to 289, including 73 recoveries.

In Oman, 13 new cases were confirmed by the Health Ministry, bringing the total to 192, including 34 recoveries.

Sudan’s Health Ministry announced seven coronavirus cases, with one new case confirmed. Two deaths have been reported in Sudan so far.

The Saudi Health Ministry reported two deaths, raising the death toll to 10. Also, 110 cases were confirmed in the kingdom, bringing the total to 1,563, including 165 recoveries.

The UAE’s Health Ministry reported one coronavirus death, raising the total number of deaths to six. The ministry said 53 cases were confirmed, bringing the total to 664.

Algeria's Health Ministry said nine people died from the virus, raising the death toll to 44 while 132 people tested positive for the virus, bringing the total number of cases to 716.

The Mauritanian Health Ministry on Tuesday announced the first death from the virus. Six cases have been confirmed so far in the country, including two recoveries.

After emerging in Wuhan, China last December, the virus has spread to at least 179 countries and regions around the globe.

The global death toll from the virus surpassed 40,700 on Tuesday, while the cases topped 826,000, according to figures compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

In all, more than 174,000 people diagnosed with the virus have recovered from the disease.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz and Mahmoud Barakat