国际英语新闻:First batch of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines arrives in Turkey; Iraq bans New Year's Eve gather

CAIRO, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of China's COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Turkey on Wednesday, while Iraq decided to ban gatherings on the New Year's Eve as the country's total coronavirus cases hit 594,442.

The first batch of 3 million doses of China's SinoVac COVID-19 vaccine arrived in the Turkish capital Ankara early Wednesday. Mass vaccination will start following 14 days of tests, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted Wednesday.

"As soon as the tests are completed, our vaccination program will take place under the coordination of the General Directorate of Public Health," he added.

Turkey on Wednesday reported 15,692 new COVID-19 cases, rising the tally to 2,194,272, including 20,642 deaths and 2,078,629 recoveries.

The Iraqi authorities decided Wednesday to ban gatherings on the upcoming New Year's Eve, as the ministry of health reported 901 new COVID-19 cases in the country, bringing the total nationwide infections to 594,442.

The ministry of interior will implement the decisions of the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety, which prevented gatherings after certain hours of the evening and closed crowded places, spokesman of the ministry, Khalid al-Mahana, said in a press release.

Meanwhile, a statement by the ministry of health reported eight new deaths, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 12,808, and 1,547 more recovered cases, bringing the total recoveries to 536,348.

Iran's Health Ministry reported 6,272 overnight COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, raising the total nationwide infections to 1,218,753.

The pandemic has so far claimed 55,095 lives in Iran, up by 149 in the past 24 hours, said Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, during her daily briefing.

A total of 978,714 people have recovered from the disease and been discharged from hospitals, while 5,087 remain in intensive care units, she added.

Israel's Ministry of Health reported 5,629 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing the total to 414,967.

The death toll of the virus in Israel increased to 3,304 with 47 new fatalities. The total recoveries rose to 370,425 after 3,344 new recovered cases were added.

Earlier on Wednesday, Israel's ministerial coronavirus committee decided to cancel the sweeping requirement to quarantine in designated hotels for arriving passengers from abroad, the Prime Minister's Office and the Health Ministry said in a joint statement.

Instead, people returning from any country will be able to quarantine at home or in another place where it is possible to maintain the quarantine conditions other than designated hotels, subject to a coronavirus test carried out upon arrival.

Kuwait's COVID-19 cases increased by 205 to 150,298 on the same day, while the death toll rose by one to 933.

The Kuwaiti Health Ministry also announced the recovery of 228 more patients, taking the total recoveries to 146,284.

The Omani health ministry on Wednesday announced 86 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Sultanate to 128,719, the official Oman News Agency (ONA) reported.

Meanwhile, 258 people recovered during the past 24 hours, taking the overall recoveries to 121,614, while no new deaths were reported, keeping the tally at 1,497, according to a ministry statement quoted by ONA.

The Qatari health ministry on Wednesday announced 193 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 143,621, the official Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.

Meanwhile, 153 more recovered from the virus, bringing the overall recoveries to 141,300, while the fatalities remained 245 for the second day running, according to a ministry statement quoted by QNA.

Morocco announced on Wednesday 2,143 new COVID-19 cases, taking the tally in the North African country since March 2 to 437,322.

The number of recoveries from the coronavirus in Morocco increased to 405,251 after 3,822 more were added, while the death toll rose by 41 to 7,355 the ministry of health said in a statement.

Palestinian Minister of Health Mai al-Kaila told a news briefing in Ramallah that the ministry recorded 21 deaths, bringing the death toll to 1,500 in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem.

"Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in the Palestinian territories in March, the ministry recorded 154,097 cases, including 1,500 deaths, 130,762 had recovered, and 21,835 active cases," al-Kaila said.

Lebanon recorded on Wednesday the highest daily increase in COVID-19 infections of 2,878, bringing the total number of cases to 177,996, the Health ministry reported. Meanwhile, the number of death toll went up by 13 to 1,443.

The country also recorded 978 new recoveries, which brings the total number of recoveries to 126,460.

Jordan reported 14 new COVID-19 deaths and 1,674 virus cases, increasing the caseload to 293,067, including 3,815 deaths and 268,843 recoveries.