国际英语新闻:Lebanon's COVID-19 cases surpass 300,000; Israel agrees to provide COVID-19 vaccines to Pal

CAIRO, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon recorded on Sunday 2,139 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of infections to 301,052; Meanwhile, Israel agreed to provide some 5,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the Palestinian Authority.

The Lebanese Health Ministry reported 51 new deaths from the infectious virus, raising Lebanon's total COVID-19 death toll to 3,082.

On Sunday, former Lebanese parliament member Michel Murr died of coronavirus complications at the age of 89.

Israel has agreed to provide some 5,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the Palestinian Authority, the Israeli Defense Ministry said on Sunday.

Israeli media reported that the vaccines will be used for Palestinian medical workers. The move came after United Nations officials and human rights groups urged Israel to provide vaccines to the Palestinians.

The Israeli Ministry of Health reported 4,227 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the tally in the country to 643,006.

The death toll from the COVID-19 in Israel reached 4,786 after 48 new fatalities were added, while the total recoveries surged by 10,598 to 572,410.

Turkey, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East, confirmed 6,562 new COVID-19 cases, including 641 symptomatic patients, and 128 more deaths from the virus, pushing its tally of infections to 2,477,463 and its death toll to 25,993.

The total number of recoveries from the coronavirus in Turkey soared by 7,006 to 2,362,415.

Iran reported 6,268 daily COVID-19 cases on Sunday, raising the total nationwide infections to 1,417,999.

The pandemic has so far claimed 57,959 lives in Iran, up by 70 in the past 24 hours, said Sima Sadat Lari, the spokeswoman for Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education.

A total of 1,210,051 people have recovered from the disease and been discharged from hospitals, while 3,932 remain in intensive care units, she added.

The Iraqi Ministry of Health reported 714 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the nationwide tally to 619,636.

It also recorded six new deaths from the virus, raising the death toll in Iraq to 13,047, and 1,272 more recoveries, taking the total recoveries to 592,129.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi urged the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate with the countries and companies producing COVID-19 vaccines to expedite the delivery of the vaccines to Iraq.

He stressed the need for the ministry to communicate with China to discuss the delivery of the Sinopharm vaccine as it has been approved for use.

Morocco on Sunday reported 466 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number in the country to 471,157, while its total number of recoveries from COVID-19 climbed to 449,160 after 532 new ones were added.

The coronavirus death toll in Morocco rose to 8,275 with 16 new fatalities added during the last 24 hours, while 732 patients were in intensive care units.

Jordan announced 1,181 new COVID-19 cases and 12 more deaths, taking its tally of infections to 326,855 and its death toll to 4,316. The total recoveries from the disease rose by 1,030 to 314,581 in the kingdom.

Kuwait reported 635 new COVID-19 cases, raising the tally of infections to 165,257, while the death toll remained at 959.

The Kuwaiti Health Ministry also announced the recovery of 527 more patients, taking the total recoveries to 157,931.

Kuwait will receive 200,000 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines on Monday, the Ministry of Health announced Sunday.

Abdullah Al-Bader, assistant undersecretary for drug and food control affairs at the ministry, said the ministry has authorized the vaccine for emergency use to protect people from the coronavirus.

Egypt received on Sunday the first batch of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines, one day after the most populous Arab country approved the British vaccine for emergency use.

The batch, which consists of 50,000 doses, is part of an agreement that includes 20 million doses of the British vaccine. This is the second COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use in Egypt following the authorization of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine earlier this month.

In Qatar, the health ministry announced 351 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number in the Gulf country to 151,335.

The total recoveries in Qatar surged by 138 to 145,806, while the death toll remained unchanged at 248 for two weeks, according to a ministry statement.

The Omani Health Ministry reported 598 new COVID-19 infections, pushing the tally of confirmed cases in the sultanate to 134,326.

It also confirmed that the total recoveries increased by 282 to 126,854, while its death toll rose by two to 1,529, the ministry said in a statement.