CAIRO, April 4 (Xinhua) -- The number of COVID-19 cases in Iran soared to 55,743 on Saturday as the pandemic showed signs of slowdown. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) expressed solidarity with China in the latter's national mourning for the COVID-19 victims.
Iran, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East, reported an increase of 2,560 new COVID-19 cases from a day ago, while the death toll climbed to 3,425.
The rise in new cases on Saturday indicated a slowdown that has continued for the fourth consecutive days since March 31, when 3,111 new cases were recorded.
A total of 19,736 patients have recovered from the novel coronavirus, while 4,103 remained in critical condition.
President Hassan Rouhani said that Iranian authorities will launch a "smart distancing" plan to continue its fight against COVID-19. The distancing plan launched last month has attained "good achievements," Rouhani said in a meeting atof the National Headquarters to Fight the Coronavirus.
As China held on Saturday a national mourning for the martyrs who died fighting the novel coronavirus and the victims who died from the virus, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed solidarity with the Chinese government and people.
"Today, we express our deepest solidarity with friendly China, the government and the people, in its national mourning to its citizens and brave medical staff who lost their lives," the crown prince said in a tweet on his official Twitter account in three languages of Chinese, Arabic and English.
"Our condolences go to victims and their families all over the world and we wish a speedy recovery of those affected ... we will face this challenge with the determination, will and solidarity of all people," he added.
On Feb. 2 and March 12, the iconic landmarks in the UAE, including Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, in Dubai and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company headquarters in Abu Dhabi, were lit up twice in the colors of China's national flag in solidarity with China in its fight against the coronavirus.
On Saturday, the UAE announced 241 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 1,505, including 10 fatalities. A total of 17 more patients made full recovery from the virus, taking the tally of the UAE's recoveries to 125.
Turkey reported 3,013 more coronavirus cases and 76 new deaths, bringing the tally of infections to 23,934 and the death toll to 501. A total of 786 patients in Turkey have recovered since the beginning of the outbreak on March 11.
Israel reported four new deaths from the novel coronavirus and 423 new cases, bringing the death toll to 43 and the total number of confirmed cases to 7,851. The total number of recoveries reached 458, after 55 more patients recovered from the disease.
Kuwait reported the first death from the coronavirus and 62 new cases, bringing the total number of infections to 479.
The first death case was an 46-year-old Indian citizen. Among the new cases, there were 33 Indian nationals and four Egyptians who have history of contacts with infected patients.
Qatar reported 250 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf nation to 1,325, including 109 recoveries.
Saudi Arabia reported 140 new COVID-19 cases and four more deaths from the virus, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 2,179, of whom 29 have died and 420 have recovered.
In Morocco, the Ministry of Health confirmed 122 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number to 883, of whom 58 have died and 65 have recovered.
Egypt reported five new deaths from the COVID-19 infection, bringing the pandemic fatalities in the country to 71.
Khaled Megahed, spokesman for Egyptian Health Ministry, also announced 85 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 1,070. So far, 241 patients in Egypt have recovered from the disease.
Algeria reported 80 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,251. The death toll rose to 130 after 25 new deaths were added.
The Algerian government said in a statement that a nationwide lockdown, from Sunday to April 19, will be imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Iraq's Health Ministry confirmed two more deaths from COVID-19 and 58 new cases, as the total number of infections climbed to 878, including 56 fatalities.
Tunisia said the number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 553, after 58 new cases were confirmed.
Oman's Ministry of Health announced 25 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 277. Two more deaths from the novel coronavirus were recorded.
The number of COVID-19 infections in Lebanon increased by 12 to 520, while the death toll remained unchanged at 17.
Palestine reported 11 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 216.
The new cases, the majority of whom are workers who just returned from Israel, were found in the villages northwest of East Jerusalem and near the West Bank city of Ramallah.
