Iraq reports highest daily COVID-19 infections as Turkey announces economic recovery from outbreak

CAIRO - Iraq confirmed on Monday 3,484 new COVID-19 infections, the highest daily increase since the outbreak of the deadly disease in the country. Meanwhile Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced his country's ongoing economic recovery from the pandemic.

Iraq has so far confirmed 153,599 coronavirus cases in the country amid a surge in new infections.

It also reported 72 fatalities on Monday, raising the death toll to 5,464, while 2,015 patients recovered in the day, bringing the total number of recoveries to 109,790.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Deputy Health Minister Hazim al-Jumaili said in a statement that the ministry is following the global production of anti-coronavirus vaccines.

"Iraq will reserve the first vaccine that appears for coronavirus after ensuring its safety, efficiency, and prices," al-Jumaili told the official Iraqi News Agency.

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca reported 1,193 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, raising the total confirmed number in the country to 241,997.

In addition, 14 people died in the past 24 hours from the virus, taking the death toll to 5,858, while 1,211 patients recovered in the past 24 hours, raising the total recoveries to 224,970.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the country's economy has been recovering from the COVID-19 outbreak.

"The improvement we expected in economic indicators started in May, and we see that it got stronger in June and July," Erdogan said.

In Iran, the hardest hit country in the Middle East, the overall number of the coronavirus cases has grown to 328,844, while the pandemic has so far claimed the lives of 18,616 Iranians, up by 189 in the past 24 hours, according to Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for the Iranian health ministry.

She said 1,067 of the new coronavirus patients detected in the past 24 hours in Iran have been hospitalized, while 3,992 remain in critical condition.

It is worth noting that 26 Iranian provinces out of 31 are either in high-risk or alert condition over the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Saudi Arabia, 1,257 new COVID-19 infections were reported, raising the accumulated cases in the kingdom to 289,947, amid a slowdown trajectory of daily infections in the past month.

The Saudi Ministry of Health reported 32 more deaths and 1,439 new recovered cases, increasing the death toll to 3,199 and the total recoveries to 253,478.

The Qatari health ministry on Monday announced 315 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number in the Gulf state to 113,262, official Qatar News Agency reported.

The ministry attributed the increase in coronavirus infections to gatherings and visits as well as ignoring the preventive measures such as staying at home and social distancing.

Oman reported 207 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, including 40 non-Omanis, raising the total number in the country to 81,787, according to a statement by the Omani health ministry.

The recovery rate of coronavirus in Oman is as high as 93 percent, while the global level is 64 percent, according to Huda Al Khalili, intensive care consultant for COVID-19 at the Royal Hospital.

Israel's Ministry of Health reported 1,720 new coronavirus cases on Monday, bringing the total infections in the country to 84,722, while Palestine recorded 467 new cases, raising the total number in the Palestinian territories to 19,118,

In Kuwait, 687 new COVID-19 cases and four more deaths were reported on Monday, raising the tally of infections to 72,400 and the death toll to 482.

Kuwait started the third-phase plan of restoring normal life on July 28. During this phase, labor capacity will increase to no more than 50 percent and visits to social care homes will be allowed.

As the first among the Gulf countries to report COVID-19 cases, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday announced 179 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 62,704.

The UAE health ministry also reported 198 more recoveries from the virus, taking the tally of recoveries in the UAE to 56,766.

A total of 826 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Morocco on Monday, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the North African country to 34,063.

In Lebanon and Jordan, the number of COVID-19 cases on Monday rose by 295 and 16 respectively to 6,812 and 1,268.

Lebanon is expected to witness a remarkable daily increase in COVID-19 cases in the coming days as thousands have taken to streets in anti-government protests to demand the overhaul of the political system after the deadly explosions in Beirut.

Jordan will enforce a law that makes wearing face masks and gloves obligatory from Aug. 15 and impose fines on any violator from 20 dinars (28 US dollars) to 50 dinars, Minister of State for Media Affairs Amjad Adaileh said at a press conference on Monday.