CAIRO, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian health minister on Thursday praised the cooperation between his country and China in the fight against the COVID-19, which is sweeping the Middle East with a slower pace.
Tunisian Minister of Health Abdellatif Mekki said in an interview with Xinhua that the Tunisia-China cooperation "was one of Tunisia's best experiences in terms of cooperation with foreign countries to cope with the spread of the virus."
The cooperation has been done "in many forms including the scientific level, where we have recently organized several video-conferences between Tunisian and Chinese experts, and the commercial level with the acquisition of medical supplies."
The minister stressed that the Tunisia-China medical cooperation "is not occasional, but dates back to decades."
The Chinese medical teams have provided health screening services for more than 5.7 million Tunisian patients, medical treatment for over 880,000 patients in Tunisian hospitals, and 320,000 surgical interventions, he added.
"Tunisia is among the countries that have recorded a low number of confirmed cases of COVID-19," Mekki said.
On Wednesday, Tunisia reported three new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of the infections in the country to 1,025.
As the worst-hit country in the Middle East, Turkey on Thursday reported 1,977 confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 133,721.
The death toll from the virus in Turkey reached 3,641 after 57 more people lost their lives in the last 24 hours.
A total of 82,984 patients have recovered, and 1,260 patients are still being treated in intensive care units.
The Iranian Health Ministry confirmed 1,485 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 103,135.
Over the past 24 hours, 68 patients were confirmed dead from the virus, raising the death toll to 6,486.
Saudi Arabia reported 1,793 new cases of coronavirus infection and 10 more deaths, raising the tally of confirmed cases to 33,731 and the death toll to 219. The total recoveries rose to 7,798 after 1,015 more patients were cured of the disease.
Qatar's Health Ministry on Thursday announced 918 new COVID-19 cases, increasing the tally of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 18,890.
It added that 216 people recovered from the disease, leading the total recoveries to 2,286, while the death roll remained at 12.
In Kuwait, the health ministry reported 278 new COVID-19 cases and two more deaths, bringing the total infections to 6,567 and the death toll to 44.
The United Arab Emirates announced 502 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 16,240, including 165 deaths and 3,572 recoveries.
Egypt's daily COVID-19 infections hit 393 on Thursday, raising the total cases in the country to 7,981.
Meanwhile, 13 patients died from the coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 482. Egypt's recoveries increased to 1,887 after 72 recoveries were recorded.
Morocco reported 140 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 5,548, while the death toll rose to 183.
Sudan recorded 78 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 930. Three new deaths were confirmed, bringing the death toll to 52.
Iraq's health ministry confirmed 63 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total number of infections to 2,543, and the death toll remained at 102.
In Israel, the number of coronavirus infections rose to 16,381 after 71 new cases were added. The death toll increased to 240, after one new deaths was reported, while the number of recoveries increased by 236 to 10,873.
Earlier on Thursday, shopping malls, markets and gyms across Israel were reopened under restrictions of keeping distance between people, temperature tests and hygiene requirements.
Palestine announced one new coronavirus case, bringing the tally to 547.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Ishtaye told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah that the new decisions of easing lockdown do not include easing the precautionary health measures concerning the COVID-19 testing and contraction.
Lebanon on Thursday recorded 34 COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of infections to 784, of whom 25 have died from the pandemic. Enditem
