UPDATE - COVID-19 cases keep rising in Eurasia, C.Asia

NEW HEADLINE, DECK, ADDS FIGURES FROM AZERBAIJAN, BELARUS, MOLDOVA, UZBEKISTAN, TAJIKISTAN

By Dmitri Chirciu, Bahtiyar Abdulkerimov, Davit Kachkachishvili and Ruslan Rehimov

KIEV, Ukraine / MINSK, Belarus (AA) – Coronavirus cases and fatalities continued to rise in Eurasian and Central Asian countries on Saturday.

-Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova

Azerbaijani health officials reported that the total number of cases to date rose to 19,801 with 534 new additions in the past 24 hours. The tally of recoveries neared 11,300 and the death toll climbed to 241.

Health authorities in Belarus announced that they observed 273 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to over 63,000. While more than 50,000 people have recovered in the country, fatalities totaled 418.

As for Moldova, officials stated that official cases topped 17,650 with 227 new additions in the last 24 hours. The death toll stands at 580 in the country, where more than 2,500 health personnel have contracted the virus.

- Georgia

Three new COVID-19 cases were found in Georgia, bringing the overall count to 949.

The government said all three were truck drivers who came from other countries.

Fifteen virus patients have died and 825 have recovered in Georgia so far.

A total of 203 patients are hospitalized, while 3,310 remain in quarantine, authorities said.

- Ukraine

Ukraine reported 914 more COVID-19 cases, raising its overall count to 47,677.

According to the Health Ministry, 3,456 children and 6,937 healthcare workers have been infected in the country.

Fatalities increased by 15 to 1,227, while recoveries reached 21,155 with 597 additions.

Over 705,800 tests have been done in the country so far, and 25,295 patients are currently under treatment, the ministry said.

In view of the rising number of cases, Ukraine has extended restrictions until the end of July.

- Armenia

Total cases in Armenia climbed to 27,900 after 580 more people tested positive for COVID-19.

The death toll increased by eight to reach 477, while recoveries stand at 15,935.

Over 11,300 remain under treatment in the country, which has done more than 120,200 tests to date.

- Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s overall case count moved close to 46,000, with 1,644 more infections – the highest single-day figure so far – recorded in the past 24 hours.

Recoveries increased by 415 to reach 15,276, while the death toll stands at 188, the Health Ministry said.

- Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan reported 327 new virus cases, raising its total to 7,094.

According to the Health Ministry, 1,065 healthcare workers have been infected in the country so far.

It said 615 patients are currently hospitalized and 3,632 are in isolation at home.

A total of 23,019 people remain under surveillance across the country.

Two more fatalities took the death toll to 78, while recoveries increased by 59 to reach 2,714.

- Uzbekistan, Tajikistan

In Uzbekistan, 174 more people tested positive for COVID-19, raising the total to 9,500.

One more fatality brought the death toll to 29, while 90 more recoveries over the past 24 hours raised the total to 6,251.

Some 3,200 patients remain under treatment in the Central Asian country, which has carried out over 1.2 million tests so far.

A further 64,000 people are under monitoring across Uzbekistan, authorities said.

In Tajikistan, where confirmed cases stand over 6,100, the death toll stands at 52. So far, more than 4,800 people recovered from the disease.

Since it originated in China last December, more than 11.1 million COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide so far, with recoveries topping 6 million, according to figures compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins University. The global death toll currently stands at over 527,000.

*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas