An empty highway is seen during a lockdown in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Sept. 25, 2020. Earlier on Friday, tightening of the ongoing three-week anti-coronavirus lockdown took effect in Israel. Under the new lockdown, all markets and businesses were shut down except for factories and services defined as "essentials". Residents are required to stay within a 1,000-meter radius of their homes, except for special cases such as receiving medical care or an emergency. (Gideon Markowicz/JINI via Xinhua)
CAIRO, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases increased to 439,882 in Iran on Friday. Meanwhile, Israel tightened the ongoing anti-coronavirus lockdown as the total infections surged to 217,899 in the country.
Iran, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East region, reported 3,565 new cases, bringing the total number of infections to 439,882.
The pandemic has so far claimed 25,222 lives in Iran, up by 207 in the past 24 hours. A total of 369,842 coronavirus patients have recovered, with 4,023 still in critical condition.
In Israel, 5,784 new COVID-19 cases were recorded, taking the tally of coronavirus infections to 217,899, which included 1,412 deaths and 153,574 recoveries.
Earlier in the day, tightening of the ongoing three-week anti-coronavirus lockdown took effect in Israel, which will last at least until Oct. 10.
Under the new lockdown, all markets and businesses were shut down except for factories and services defined as "essentials," and residents are required to stay within a 1,000-meter radius of their homes, except for special cases such as receiving medical care or an emergency.
Saudi Arabia announced 472 new cases and 26 more deaths, raising the tally of confirmed cases to 332,329 and the death toll to 4,625.
The kingdom also reported 843 more recovered patients, taking the total recoveries to 315,636.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in Turkey climbed by 1,665 to 311,455, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted.
The death toll from the coronavirus in the country rose to 7,858 after 73 new fatalities were added in the past 24 hours, Koca said, adding the total recoveries increased to 273,282.
The ICU bed occupancy rate of the country's hospitals has reached 68 percent during the novel coronavirus outbreak, while the intubation occupancy rate is 33 percent, the minister noted.
In the mean time, 4,593 new COVID-19 cases were detected in Iraq during the past 24 hours, bringing the total nationwide infections to 341,699.
The Iraqi health ministry reported 4,505 recoveries from the virus, the highest in a single day since the outbreak of the disease, raising the tally of recoveries to 273,266.
The death toll from the coronavirus in Iraq rose to 8,867 after 68 fatalities were added.
In Qatar, 225 new coronavirus cases were detected, increasing the total number to 124,650, including 212 deaths and 121,512 recoveries.
In the mean time, Kuwait reported 590 new cases, bringing the country's total number of infections to 102,441, including 595 deaths and 93,562 recoveries.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced 1,008 new cases, raising the total confirmed cases in the country to 89,540.
The tally of recoveries in the UAE rose to 78,819 after 882 more patients have recovered from the virus and the death toll reached 409 with two more deaths.
In Morocco, the tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 112,522 after 2,423 new cases were added, which included 1,998 fatalities and 91,932 recoveries.
Algeria on Friday reported 175 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest daily increase since June 29, bringing the total tally of infections to 50,754, including 1,707 deaths and 35,654 recoveries.
On the same day, Palestine reported 452 new coronavirus cases, taking the tally of infections in the Palestinian territories to 48,282, including 35,709 recoveries and 327 deaths.
In Lebanon, the number of COVID-19 infections increased by 1,143 to 33,962, while the death toll went up by four to 333. It is the highest single-day increase since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Lebanon on Feb. 21.
Libya registered 658 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total confirmed cases in the country to 31,290.
Moreover, 666 more patients have recovered and 17 died, increasing the total recoveries in the country to 17,508 and the death toll to 491.
In Jordan, 620 new COVID-19 cases, increasing the tally of cases to 7,211 with 4,035 recoveries and 39 fatalities.
