Pandemic claims 87 more lives in Iraq, 42 in S.Arabia

ISTANBUL (AA) – The health authorities in the Gulf states and in Iraq announced new infections and fatalities from the novel coronavirus on Thursday.

In Iraq, the Health Ministry said that 3,995 new infections and 87 fatalities were confirmed in the past 24 hours.

The new figures brought Iraq's total infections to 192,797, including 6,208 deaths and 137,200 recoveries.

In Saudi Arabia, the Health Ministry announced 42 more deaths and 1,287 infections.

The kingdom's tally of infections rose to 303,973, including 3,548 deaths and 275,476 recovered cases.

Meanwhile, the Omani Health Ministry said it registered six more fatalities from the coronavirus along with 163 new infections.

The most recently recorded figures carried the sultanate's count of infections to 83,769, including 609 deaths and 78,386 recoveries.

In Kuwait, the Health Ministry confirmed two new fatalities and 622 infections from COVID-19.

The country's total infections rose to 78,767, including 509 fatalities and 70,642 recoveries.

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), another two fatalities from the coronavirus were reported, in addition to 461 infections.

With these newly reported cases, the UAE's tally reached 65,802 infections, including 369 deaths and 58,153 recoveries.

In Qatar, no new deaths were reported, however, 268 infections were detected in the past 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry.

Qatar's tally of infections rose to 116,224, including 193 fatalities and 112,924 recoveries.

Since the novel coronavirus broke out in China last December, over 22.46 million people have been infected, while nearly 789,000 have died from the virus in 188 countries and regions, according to the US-based Johns Hopkins University. Some 14.37 million people have recovered from the disease so far.

* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara