COVID-19 cases, deaths mount in Middle East

By Ali Semerci and Sofya Hocabasi

ISTANBUL/BAGHDAD (AA) - Coronavirus cases and fatalities continued to rise in Middle East countries Saturday.

Iraq reported 2,069 more COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, raising its overall count to 43,262.

The death toll rose to 1,660 with 101 additional deaths while recoveries reached 19,938.

The death toll in Saudi Arabia, increased to 1,511 with 17 more fatalities. A total of 3,9274 more infections pushed that figure to 178,504.

The number of recoveries stand at 122,128.

More than 497,400 people have died in at least 188 countries and regions since the virus emerged in China last December.

More than 9.9 million cases have been reported worldwide, with recoveries exceeding 5 million, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.

The US, Brazil, Russia, and India are currently the worst-hit countries in the world.

* Writing by Fahri Aksut in Ankara.