UPDATE- Coronavirus cases, deaths rise in Arab countries

ADDS COUNTRIES, FIGURES

By Khalid Medoup, Mehmet Nuri Ucar and Serdar Bıtmez

ISTANBUL (AA) - Several Arab countries reported more coronavirus cases and deaths Friday.

In Morocco, the overall count is at 2,564, including 281 recoveries.

Officials also reported five fatalities in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 135.

Oman now has 50 new cases, bringing the total to 1,169, including 176 recoveries.

Five COVID-19 patients have died, health officials said.

The Palestinian Health Ministry recorded 12 new cases, bringing the total to 307, including 13 in the Gaza Strip.

The ministry said 69 patients have recovered so far.

In Lebanon, five new cases raised the total to 668, while the death toll remained at 21 for the second straight day.

One new case was confirmed in Libya, taking the total to 49, including 11 recoveries and one fatality.

In Algeria, 150 new cases raised the count to 2,418, including 864 recoveries.

Officials there also reported 16 fatalities in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 364.

Saudi Arabia recorded 762 new cases, bringing the total to 7,142, including 1,049 recoveries.

A total of 87 COVID-19 patients have died in the Kingdom, according to its Health Ministry.

In Kuwait, the Health Ministry recorded one more death and 134 cases, bringing the total to 1,658 cases, including five deaths and 258 recoveries.

Qatari officials confirmed 560 cases were recorded, raising the total to 4,663, including 464 recoveries while the death toll remained at seven.

In Bahrain, 40 new cases were confirmed, bringing the total to 1,740.

The Health Ministry said seven COVID-19 patients have died and 725 have recovered.

Egypt reported 171 more cases and nine fatalities.

The overall count is now at 2,844, including 646 recoveries, while the death toll is now 205, according to the Health Ministry.

In Iraq, 48 patients tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, raising the total to 1,482, along with 906 recoveries.

The death toll now stands at 81 after one more patient died, the Health Ministry said.

The novel coronavirus has spread to 185 countries and regions since emerging in China last December, with the U.S. and Europe now the hardest-hit areas.

More than 2.2 million cases have been reported worldwide, with the death toll over 148,600 and nearly 566,000 recoveries, according to data compiled by the U.S.’ Johns Hopkins University.

* Writing by Mahmoud Barakat and Zehra Nur Duz