COVID-19 claims more lives in Iraq, Kuwait

ANKARA (AA) - Health authorities in Iraq and Kuwait confirmed additional fatalities due to the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday.

In a statement, the Iraqi Health Ministry said 81 people died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, pushing the nationwide death toll to 3,950.

A further 2,466 cases were registered, bringing the total infections to 97,159, it added.

In Kuwait, four people succumbed to the virus, while 671 new cases were detected over the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said.

The new figures takes the Gulf state’s tally to 60,434, including 412 deaths, and 50,919 recoveries.

Across the world, COVID-19 has claimed nearly 614,000 lives in 188 countries and regions since emerging in China last December.

Nearly 14.8 million cases have been reported worldwide, with the US, Brazil, India, and Russia currently being the worst-hit countries, according to figures compiled by the US’ Johns Hopkins University.

The data shows more than half of all people infected with the virus worldwide -- nearly 8.9 million -- have recovered so far.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara