UPDATE - Coronavirus continues march across Eurasia

UPDATES WITH MORE COUNTRIES, CHANGES DECK

By Aliia Raimbekova, Dmitri Chirciu, and Ruslan Rehimov

NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan (AA) - Coronavirus cases and fatalities continued to rise across Eurasia on Tuesday.

Azerbaijan reported 131 new cases, bringing the country’s total to 3,518. The number of recoveries reached 2,198, while the death toll stands at 41, according to the Health Ministry.

Belarus confirmed 936 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total to 31,508, including 175 deaths.

The country has conducted a total of 375,076 tests, according to authorities.

In Ukraine, 260 new cases pushed the overall count to 18,876, including 548 deaths and 5,632 recoveries.

However, the country is set to start easing lockdown measures, with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announcing that public transportation will resume from May 22.

In Moldova, two more people died of COVID-19, raising the death toll to 221. A total of 6,340 cases have been reported in the country to date, including 2,508 recoveries, according to health officials.

Twelve more people also tested positive in Moldova’s autonomous region of Gagauzia, bringing the total to 260, including 12 deaths.

In Kazakhstan, 311 new cases pushed the total to 6,751, including 35 fatalities and 3,572 recoveries.

In Uzbekistan, 23 more cases raised the overall count to 2,825, including 2,338 recoveries and 13 fatalities.

A total of 474,000 tests have been conducted in the country so far, according to a top health official.

In Armenia, 218 new cases brought the total to 5,041, including 2,788 recoveries and 64 deaths, the Health Ministry said.

In Kyrgyzstan, 27 new cases raised the total to 1,243, including 898 recoveries and 14 deaths.

Tajikistan’s total number of cases has reached 1,895, while the death toll in the country is up to 41.

In Georgia, one new COVID-19 case brought the total to 705, including 12 deaths and 456 recoveries.

More than 4.83 million cases have been reported in 188 countries and regions since the virus emerged in China last December.

The US, Russia, Brazil, and several European countries are currently the hardest-hit in the world.

The pandemic has claimed nearly 320,000 lives worldwide, while recoveries are over 1.8 million, according to figures compiled by the US’ Johns Hopkins University.

* Writing by Havva Kara Aydin in Ankara