UPDATE - 3 Arab countries confirm new coronavirus cases

UPDATES WITH NUMBERS FROM SAUDI ARABIA, CHANGES TITLE, LEDE

By Haydar Karaalp, Mahmut Geldi and Serdar Bitmez

BAGHDAD / BEIRUT / RIYADH (AA) - Despite drastic measures, more positive coronavirus cases were reported from three Arab states -- Iraq, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia-- on Monday.

Iraq confirmed three more deaths from the virus, bringing the country's total fatalities to 23, according to its Health Ministry.

A ministry statement said 33 people tested positive for the virus over the past 24 hours, taking the overall infections to 266.

As precautionary measures, most of Iraq's provinces decided to close their borders, including Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, while others imposed a near-complete lockdown.

Last week, Baghdad shut down schools and universities for 10 days and banned travel to virus-hit provinces.

Meanwhile in Lebanon, the total COVID-19 cases rose to 256 after eight new cases were recorded, the country's Health Ministry announced.

It also confirmed a new fatality from the infection, taking the national tally to four.

According to Saudi Arabia's Health Ministry, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country reached 562 after 51 new cases were reported.

The ministry confirmed no deaths and said a total of 19 people have recovered so far.

The virus that surfaced in Wuhan last December has spread to 167 countries and regions. The global death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 15,400 with more than 353,500 cases confirmed worldwide, according to U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz and Mahmoud Barakat.