A sculpture wearing a face mask is seen on a street in downtown Tehran, Iran, on Aug 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)
--Iran's COVID-19 cases hit 322,567 with 18,132 deaths;
--Iraq reports highest 3,461 daily new cases;
--Morocco's total infections surpass 30,000;
--Tunisia's public hospitals are prepared for possible second wave of pandemic.
CAIRO, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Iran's COVID-19 cases approached 323,000 on Friday. Meanwhile, Iraq reported 3,461 new infections, the highest daily increase, amid the pandemic resurgence.
Iran, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East region, reported 2,450 new cases, bringing the total number of infections to 322,567.
The pandemic has so far claimed the lives of 18,132 Iranians, up by 156 in the past 24 hours. A total of 279,724 coronavirus patients have recovered, with 4,136 still in critical condition.
In Iraq, the tally of coronavirus infections rose to 144,064 after a record 3,461 daily new cases were added.
The country also reported 75 more deaths and 2,172 recovered cases, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 5,236 and the total recoveries to 103,197.
People wearing face masks are seen in a reopened mall in central Baghdad, Iraq, on July 21, 2020. (Xinhua)
Saudi Arabia announced 1,567 new cases and 38 more deaths, raising the tally of confirmed cases to 285,793 and the death toll to 3,093.
The kingdom also reported 1,859 more recovered patients, taking the total recoveries to 248,948.
In Turkey, the total number of COVID-19 cases climbed to 238,450 after 1,185 new infections were reported, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted.
The death toll from the virus in the country rose to 5,813 after 15 new fatalities were added in the past 24 hours, Koca said, adding 1,028 more patients recovered, raising the total recoveries to 221,574.
A total of 54,053 people are currently under quarantine in 32 cities across Turkey as part of anti-coronavirus measures.
In Qatar, 291 new cases of coronavirus infections were detected, increasing the total number to 112,383, including 180 deaths and 109,142 recoveries.
Oman's Ministry of Health announced 354 new infections, raising the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 81,067, including 502 deaths and 72,263 recoveries.
The number of coronavirus patients in Israel has reached 80,991 with 1,432 new cases.
The death toll of the virus in Israel increased to 581 while the recoveries rose to 55,313.
Kuwait reported 682 new cases, bringing the country's total number of infections to 70,727, of whom 471 have died and 62,330 recovered.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced 216 new COVID-19 cases and two more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 62,061 and the death toll to 356.
The total number of recoveries from the virus in the UAE increased to 56,015 after 276 more fully recovered.
A woman wearing face mask walks on the street in Temara, Morocco, July 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Chadi)
In Morocco, the tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 30,666 after 1,018 daily new cases were added, which included 461 fatalities and 21,548 recoveries.
Palestine reported 514 new COVID-19 cases, taking the tally of infections in the Palestinian territories to 17,948, including 9,543 recoveries and 97 deaths.
In Lebanon, the number of COVID-19 infections increased by 279 to 5,951, while the death toll remained 70.
The total number of coronavirus cases in Yemen's government-controlled provinces increased to 1,796 after 28 new cases were added.
The number of recoveries in the government-controlled areas, including the southern port city of Aden, increased to 907 and the death toll climbed to 512.
The Tunisian Ministry of Health reported 14 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 1,656, which included 1,251 recoveries and 51 deaths.
People walk in the Carthage International Airport in Tunis, Tunisia, July 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Adel Ezzine)
In the mean time, a health official in Tunisia said that public hospitals are well prepared to receive coronavirus patients in case of a possible second wave.
Syria reported 61 new cases, bringing the tally of coronavirus infections in the country to 1,060. ■