People wearing masks are seen at a Park in Ankara, Turkey, on May 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)
-- Turkey's #COVID19 cases near 160,000, 4,397 deaths;
-- Saudi Arabia announces 3-phase plan to ease #coronavirus restrictions;
-- Iran reports Mideast's highest death toll of 7,508;
-- Egypt records record 789 daily new infections.
CAIRO, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's COVID-19 cases on Tuesday rose to 158,762, amid a continued slowdown in the pandemic, while Saudi Arabia announced a three-phase plan to gradually ease the anti-coronavirus restrictions.
Turkey, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East, confirmed 948 new COVID-19 cases and 28 more deaths, as the death toll climbed to 4,397.
On the same day, 1,492 patients recovered from the disease in Turkey, raising the total recoveries to 121,507.
Amid the slowdown in the pandemic, Turkey's biggest city Istanbul disinfected mosques to make them ready for reopening on Friday as part of the normalization process.
Iran reported 1,787 new cases of COVID-19 infection, bringing the total number of cases to 139,511. The death roll in Iran, the highest in the region, rose to 7,508 after 57 deaths were added in the past 24 hours.
Saudi Arabia reported 1,931 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number in the kingdom to 76,726. The death toll from the deadly respiratory virus increased by 12 to 411, while the number of recoveries rose by 2,782 to 48,450.
People wearing masks cross a street in Tehran, Iran, on May 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)
Despite the continued rise in coronavirus infections, Saudi Arabia announced a plan to gradually lift the anti-coronavirus measures in three phases.
After the first phase, lasting from May 28 to 30, and the second phase, lasting from May 31 to June 20, all the restrictions and curfews will be lifted except for the holy city of Mecca, during the third phase starting June 21.
Qatar announced 1,742 new COVID-19 cases, raising the tally of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 47,207, including 118,44 recoveries and 28 deaths.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced 779 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 31,086.
The total recoveries from the disease in the UAE rose to 15,982 after 325 more patients recovered, and the death roll climbed to 253 after five more fatalities were added.
Egypt reported a record 789 daily new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number in the country to 18,756. This was the eighth consecutive day for Egypt's daily infections to exceed 700.
People wearing face masks are seen on a street in Cairo, Egypt, on May 22, 2020. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
Meanwhile, 14 patients died from the coronavirus, bringing the death toll in Egypt to 797, while 127 more patients were completely cured, raising the recoveries to 5,027.
Kuwait reported 608 new COVID-19 cases and seven more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 22,575 and the death toll to 172.
Oman's health ministry announced 348 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number in the country to 8,118.
A total of 45 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Morocco on Tuesday, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 7,577, including 202 deaths and 4,881 recoveries.
Syria reported 15 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the tally of confirmed cases to 121, including four deaths and 41 recoveries, the Syrian health ministry said.
Israel's health ministry reported 23 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number in Israel to 16,757.
This is the highest single-day rise in the COVID-19 cases since May 18, when 26 new cases were detected in Israel. No new death from the coronavirus was reported.
In Palestine, life in the West Bank returned to normal after the Palestinian government lifted most of the precautionary measures against the coronavirus pandemic.
In the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run ministry of health reported three new cases of COVID-19, taking the total cases in the area to 58.
Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections increased on Tuesday by 21 cases to 1,140 while the death toll remained at 26.
Israeli medical workers work at the COVID-19 test complex in the central Israeli city of Rehovot on May 24, 2020. (XInhua/Gil Cohen Magen)
The Lebanese interior ministry issued a decision imposing a fine of 50,000 Lebanese pounds (33 U.S. dollars) on citizens who do not use masks during their daily transportation.
After a lockdown of more than two months, Tunisia, which reported no new COVID-19 case on Tuesday, conditionally reopened cafes and restaurants as part of its partial lifting of the anti-coronavirus restrictions.
On Monday, the 35th Chinese medical team in Sudan held a video conference with Sudanese medical workers on sharing experiences in preventing and treating the coronavirus.
The event was also attended by Amged Abdelmgeed, head of bilateral and multilateral relations of Sudan's Ministry of Health, who thanked the Chinese government, the Chinese embassy in Sudan and the Chinese medical team for their help and support during the pandemic. ■
