A medical worker shows the China-donated COVID-19 vaccine in Baghdad, Iraq, March 2, 2021. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)
-- Kuwait's total COVID-19 cases surpass 220,000;
-- Iraq's tally of infections nears 800,000;
-- Turkey vaccinates over 8 million people;
-- Iran's death toll rose to 61,877.
CAIRO, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait's total COVID-19 cases on Monday surpassed 220,000 with 1,330 new cases. Meanwhile, Iraq's tally of infections approached 800,000 after 4,655 new cases were added.
According to the Kuwaiti Health Ministry, the total number of confirmed cases in the country hit 220,455. It also announced seven more deaths, taking the death toll to 1,233, while the tally of recoveries rose by 1,439 to 204,978.
The Kuwaiti government announced on Monday that passengers who have received coronavirus vaccine will be exempted from institutional quarantine after arriving in Kuwait.
According to the new decision, for COVID-19 vaccine recipients, a seven-day home quarantine will be applied, after which a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test will be performed on the seventh day of arrival to ensure they are free from coronavirus.
In Iraq, the total nationwide of COVID-19 cases reached 798,547.
It also reported 29 new deaths, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 14,036, while the total recoveries in Iraq climbed by 4,088 to 719,161.
A nurse prepares the COVID-19 vaccine in Ankara, Turkey, on March 15, 2021. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)
Turkey reported 22,216 new COVID-19 cases, including 981 symptomatic patients, raising the total number in the country to 3,035,338.
The death toll from the virus in Turkey rose by 117 to 30,178, while the total recoveries climbed to 2,844,681 after 19,494 more cases recovered in the last 24 hours.
Turkey started mass vaccination for COVID-19 on Jan. 14 after the authorities approved the emergency use of the Chinese CoronaVac vaccine. More than 8,083,000 people have been vaccinated so far.
Iran reported 7,357 new COVID-19 cases, raising its nationwide caseload to 1,808,422.
The pandemic has so far claimed 61,877 lives in Iran, up by 80 in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, a total of 1,549,649 people have recovered from the disease and been discharged from hospitals.
Travelers receive COVID-19 tests upon their arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 21, 2021. (Xinhua/Gil Cohen Magen)
In Israel, 974 new COVID-19 cases were reported, raising the tally of confirmed cases in the country to 828,672.
Its death toll from the virus reached 6,102 with 15 new fatalities, while the total recoveries rose to 807,341 with 1,983 newly recovered cases.
The number of people vaccinated against COVID-19 in Israel has surpassed 5.18 million, or 55.7 percent of its total population.
The Omani Health Ministry announced 728 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the sultanate to 151,528.
Meanwhile, 342 people recovered during the past 24 hours, taking the overall recoveries to 139,442 while seven deaths were reported, pushing the total tally up to 1,629.
Qatar announced 519 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 174,228.
Meanwhile, 311 more people recovered from the virus, bringing the overall recoveries to 160,762, while the fatalities increased by one to 274.
A man receives the COVID-19 vaccine in Casablanca, Morocco, on March 16, 2021. (Xinhua/Chadi)
In Morocco, 125 new COVID-19 cases were announced, taking the tally in the North African country to 491,834.
The total number of recoveries from COVID-19 in Morocco increased to 479,557 after 305 more were added, while the death toll rose to 8,769 with two new fatalities.
Meanwhile, 4,264,761 people have received so far the first vaccine shot against COVID-19 in the country, and 2,516,742 people have received the second dose.
Morocco launched a nationwide vaccination campaign on Jan. 28 after the arrival of the first shipment of China's Sinopharm vaccines.
Algeria reported 98 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the North African country to 116,255.
The death toll from the virus rose to 3,061 after four new fatalities were added. Meanwhile, 91 more patients recovered from the disease, bringing the total number of recoveries in the country to 80,810. ■
