CAIRO, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Friday reported 2,369 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the tally to 182,545. Meanwhile, Turkey's tally of confirmed cases reached 175,218.
Iran, which has re-emerged as the hardest-hit country by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East region, also reported 75 more deaths from the virus, raising the death toll to 8,659.
So far, 144,649 patients have recovered from the infectious respiratory disease in Iran.
Iran's senior health official urged the people to wear facemasks in public place, observe social distancing and avoid unnecessary gatherings. She also urged the elderlies to stay homes.
In Turkey, the total number of COVID-19 cases climbed to 175,218 after 1,195 new infections were reported, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Friday.
In a single day, 15 people died, taking the death toll to 4,778, the minister said.
He said that Turkey saw an increase in COVID-19 patients in intensive care units, warning against "false optimism" for the outbreak.
"The rise in the number of intensive care and intubated patients is on the limit of our expectation. The spread of the virus is due to false optimism. Let's follow the mask, distance, and hygiene rules," the minister tweeted.
Saudi Arabia registered on Friday 3,921 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 119,942.
The death toll rose to 893, with the reporting of 36 new fatalities, the health ministry tweeted.
Egypt confirmed 1,577 COVID-19 cases, raising the total infections registered in the country to 41,303.
Meanwhile, 45 new patients died from the virus, bringing the death toll to 1,422 in Egypt, said Khaled Megahed, the health ministry's spokesman, in a statement.
On Thursday, the government announced it will reduce the current nine-hour curfew to eight hours from June 14 to 30, amid a "coexistence plan" to maintain anti-coronavirus precautionary measures while resuming economic activities.
The country will also resume foreign tourism and aviation services in some coastal provinces with the least COVID-19 infections as of July 1, after they have been suspended since March 19 over coronavirus concerns.
In Israel, the number of new daily coronavirus cases continue to surpass 200 for the second day in a row.
Israeli Ministry of Health said 226 new patients were added, bringing the total number of cases to 18,795, while the number of death cases remained 300.
Earlier on Friday, Israel's Prime Minister Office and the Health Ministry announced that starting June 14, weddings and events to mark baby birth may be held in events halls.
According to the decision, the number of participants in such events shall not exceed one person per two square meters, up to a maximum of 250 people, not including hall employees.
The United Arab Emirates on Friday announced 513 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 41,499.
It said that 712 more patients have made full recovery from the virus, taking the tally of the country's recoveries to 25,946.
The Iraqi Health Ministry on Friday recorded 1,095 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections to 17,770 in the country.
According to a statement of the ministry, 39 more people died from the coronavirus during the day, bringing the death toll to 496, while 6,868 patients have recovered.
Kuwait reported 520 new cases of COVID-19 and six more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 34,952 and the death toll to 285, the Health Ministry said in a statement.
Qatar's Health Ministry announced 1,517 new infections of COVID-19, increasing the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 76,588.
Some 1,965 people recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 53,296, while one died, raising the fatalities up to 70, the ministry said.
The Omani Ministry of Health announced on Friday 1,117 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number in the country to 21,071.
Morocco reported 73 new infections of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the North African country to 8,610.
The country's COVID-19 death toll increased to 212, as one fatality was recorded in the last 24 hours. Enditem
