CAIRO, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- The total number of COVID-19 infections confirmed in Iran reached 443,086 on Saturday, after an overnight registration of 3,204 cases. Meanwhile, Lebanon registered highest daily increase of infections.
Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education announced, said at her daily briefing that 172 people lost their lives in the past 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 25,394.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced a plan to intensify compulsory measures to fight the COVID-19, starting by the Greater Tehran area.
"Last Thursday, we asked the Security and Social Committee and the Health Committee to offer a special plan for Greater Tehran before the end of this week, so that we do not let people who do not wear masks go off so easily," Rouhani said.
Lebanon registered the highest daily increase in COVID-19 infections by 1,280 to 35,242, while the death toll went up by seven to 340, the Health Ministry reported.
The Iraqi Health Ministry reported 4,270 new COVID-19 infections during the day, bringing the total nationwide infections to 345,969.
The ministry also confirmed 68 new fatalities from the infectious disease, taking the death toll to 8,935, while 3,652 more patients recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 276,918.
Iraqi Health Minister Hassan al-Tamimi said in a press conference in the city of Najaf that "the ministry is facing great challenges, including the Arbaeen ritual for Shiite Muslims, and the ministry has taken measures in cooperation with the health departments (of the provinces) to provide health teams, ambulances, and laboratories."
Saudi Arabia announced 461 new cases and 30 more deaths, raising the tally of confirmed cases to 332,790 and the death toll to 4,655.
Turkey's daily COVID-19 cases increased by 1,511, raising the total diagnosed patients to 312,966, the Turkish Health Ministry announced. 71 people died in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 7,929.
A total of 1,232 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, raising the total recoveries to 274,514 in Turkey since the outbreak. The rate of pneumonia in COVID-19 patients is 6.6 percent and the number of seriously ill patients is 1,615.
The total number of coronavirus cases in Israel has reached 227,100, with 9,201 new cases, the state's Ministry of Health said on Saturday.
The number of death cases rose to 1,441, with 29 new fatalities, while the number of recoveries increased to 157,537, with 3,963 new recoveries.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced 1,078 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 90,618.
At the same time, 857 more patients have recovered from the virus, taking the tally of recoveries in the UAE to 79,676, UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention said. It also confirmed two more deaths, pushing the country's death toll to 411.
The Qatari health ministry announced 200 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 124,850.
About 226 more recovered from the virus, bringing the overall recoveries to 121,738, while two died, increasing the fatalities to 214, according to the ministry.
Kuwait reported 758 new COVID-19 cases and two more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 103,199 and the death toll to 597, the Health Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry also announced the recovery of 649 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 94,211.
Morocco reported 2,719 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of infections in the country to 115,241.
The death toll rose by 43 to 2,041, while 374 patients are in intensive care units, said the Moroccan Ministry of Health in a press release. The number of recoveries from the coronavirus in Morocco increased to 94,150 after 2,218 more recoveries were added on Saturday, the ministry said.
Egypt reported late on Friday night 112 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total infections in the country to 102,625, said the Health Ministry.
In a statement, the ministry's spokesman Khaled Megahed said 18 patients died from the novel coronavirus in the past 234 hours, taking the death toll to 5,853. The spokesman said, 887 others were cured and discharged from hospitals, raising the total recoveries to 93,531.
Total COVID-19 recoveries in Egypt have currently exceeded 90 percent of the total cases in the most populous Arab country.
Tunisia reported its highest daily new coronavirus cases since the outbreak in the country on March 2, by confirming 1,087 new COVID-19 infections and 11 new deaths, announced the Tunisian Ministry of Health.
According to its daily epidemiological report, the ministry said that the total number of confirmed cases in Tunisia reached 14,392, with 191 deaths.
Jordan reported 850 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily increase in the country so far, raising the tally of confirmed cases to 8,061.
Jordanian Health Minister Saad Jaber said in a statement that four more coronavirus-related deaths were registered in the country, taking the death toll to 43.
Algeria reported 160 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest daily increase since June 29, bringing the total tally of infections to 50,914, the Ministry of Health said.
The ministry also announced four new fatalities from coronavirus, raising the death toll in the North African country to 1,711. The total number of recoveries rose to 35,756.
Palestine recorded 290 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of infections in the Palestinian territories to 48,572.
The Palestinian health ministry also reported seven new deaths from the novel coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 334. Enditem
