--Iran's tally of cases reaches 402,029;
--Iraq's death toll surpasses 8,000;
--Algeria reports lowest 247 daily new infections;
--Palestine's total infections near 40,000.

 

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Iran surpassed 400,000 on Sunday. Meanwhile, the death toll from the virus in Iraq exceeded 8,000.

Iran, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East region, reported 2,089 new cases, bringing the total number of infections to 402,029.

The pandemic has so far claimed 23,157 lives in Iran, up by 128 in the past 24 hours. A total of 346,242 coronavirus patients have recovered, with 3,791 still in critical condition.

In the mean time, the death toll from the coronavirus in Iraq rose to 8,014 after 73 fatalities were added.

On the same day, 3,531 new COVID-19 cases were detected in Iraq during the past 24 hours, bringing the total nationwide infections to 290,309. The total number of recoveries in the country rose to 224,705 after 3,422 more patients recovered in the day.

Students wearing masks are seen outside an examination center in Baghdad, Iraq on Sept. 1, 2020. (Xinhua)

The new academic year of Iran's universities and higher education centers officially began on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia announced 601 new cases and 28 more deaths, raising the tally of confirmed cases to 325,651 and the death toll to 4,268.

The kingdom also reported 1,034 more recovered patients, taking the total recoveries to 302,870.

Saudi Arabia announced on the same day that it will lift restrictions on the departure and arrival of its citizens from January 2021.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Turkey climbed by 1,527 to 291,162, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted.

The death toll from the coronavirus in the country rose to 7,056 after 57 new fatalities were added in the past 24 hours, Koca said, adding that the total recoveries increased to 258,833.

In Qatar, 217 new cases of coronavirus infections were detected, increasing the total number to 121,740, including 205 deaths and 118,682 recoveries.

In Israel, 2,882 new COVID-19 cases were recorded, taking the tally of coronavirus infections to 155,604.

The death toll of the virus in Israel increased to 1,119 while the recoveries rose to 114,998.

The Israeli government decided on Sunday that the country will reimpose a nationwide lockdown for three weeks, beginning on Friday, to slow a rapid resurgence of coronavirus infections.

Kuwait reported 553 new cases, bringing the country's total number of infections to 94,764, of whom 560 have died and 84,995 recovered.

Oman's Ministry of Health announced 1,409 new cases of infections, raising the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 89,746, including 780 deaths and 83,771 recoveries.

In Morocco, the tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 86,686 after 2,251 new cases were added, which included 1,578 fatalities and 67,528 recoveries.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced 640 new cases, raising the total confirmed cases in the country to 79,489.

The tally of recoveries in the UAE rose to 69,451 after 468 more patients have recovered from the virus and the death toll remained at 399.

Photo taken on July 17, 2020 shows a poster of fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic in Algiers, capital of Algeria. (Xinhua)

Algeria on Sunday reported 247 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest daily infection increase since June 29, and seven new fatalities, bringing the total infections to 48,254 and the death toll to 1,612.

Meanwhile, 162 more patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recoveries to 34,037.

Palestine reported 994 new coronavirus cases, taking the tally of infections in the Palestinian territories to 39,510, including 250 deaths.

Palestinians walk on a street in Gaza City, on Sept. 13, 2020. (Xinhua/Rizek Abdeljawad)

In Lebanon, the number of COVID-19 infections increased by 641 to 24,310, while the death toll went up by two to 241.

In the mean time, up to 90 UN peacekeeping soldiers in Lebanon were confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19.

Libya on Sunday reported 433 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country so far to 22,791, including 12,183 recoveries and 362 deaths.

In Jordan, 252 new COVID-19 cases and two more deaths were recorded, increasing the tally of cases to 3,314 and the death toll to 24.

Jordan's Prime Minister Omar Razzaz warned that the continuous rise in the number of local cases of COVID-19 poses risks of community transmission to the country.