People wearing face masks perform Friday prayer, following the social distancing rule, in front of a mosque in Ankara, Turkey on May 29, 2020. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)
-- Turkey's COVID-19 cases surpass 162,000;
-- Iran's COVID-19 death toll hits 7,677, Mideast highest;
-- Saudi Arabia's cases increase to 81,766 ;
-- Egypt sees record 1,289 daily new infections.
CAIRO, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's tally of COVID-19 cases surpassed 162,000 on Friday, while Iran's total number of confirmed cases exceeded 146,000.
Turkey, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East, reported 1,141 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 162,120.
In the last 24 hours, 28 more people died, taking the death toll to 4,489, and some 1,594 patients recovered.
Mosques across Turkey reopened on Friday after 74 days of closure as part of the normalization process amid a slowdown in the COVID-19 spread.
Many citizens in Istanbul gathered at the Sultanahmet Mosque for the Friday prayer at noon, following the social distancing rule.
Turkey on Friday also announced that the country will resume judicial work from June 1 as part of the normalization plan from the COVID-19 outbreak.
As part of the plan, the judicial activities will start in regional courthouses, regional administration, administrative, and tax courts starting on June 1.
A man has his body temperature checked before attending the Friday prayer in front of a mosque in Ankara, Turkey on May 29, 2020. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)
The Iranian health ministry on Friday reported 2,819 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number in the country to 146,668.
Kianush Jahanpur, head of Public Relations and Information Center of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said 50 patients died over the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 7,677.
Saudi Arabia's COVID-19 cases increased on Friday to 81,766 with the registration of 1,581 new infections.
Saudi Arabia also reported 17 new fatalities, raising the death toll to 458, the health ministry said. The tally of recoveries stood at 57,013 after 2,460 more patients recovered.
Qatar's health ministry on Friday announced 1,993 new infections of the novel coronavirus, increasing the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 52,907.
Customers pick jewelry in a jewelry store in Cairo, Egypt on May 22, 2020. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
Egypt on Thursday set a new record of single-day rise in COVID-19 infections, with 1,289 new cases confirmed, bringing the total cases to 22,082.
The Egyptian Health Ministry also reported 34 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, raising the death toll in the most populous Arab country to 879.
Kuwait reported 1,072 new cases of COVID-19 and nine more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 25,184 and the death toll to 194.
People take exercise in Hawalli Governorate, Kuwait, on May 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Asad)
The Omani Ministry of Health announced on Friday 811 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 9,820.
The Iraqi Health Ministry on Friday said that the daily increase of COVID-19 cases in the country jumped to 416, the highest so far, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 5,873.
The United Arab Emirates announced 638 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 33,170.
Israel's Ministry of Health reported 115 new coronavirus cases on Friday, the highest daily increase since May 1, bringing the total cases to 16,987.
This is the fifth consecutive day that the number of patients has risen, after only five new patients were diagnosed on May 24.
In early May, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that if the number of daily new patients exceeds 100, there would be a halt in removing restrictions in Israel.
The Moroccan health ministry on Friday reported 71 new infections with COVID-19, bringing the total number in the North African country to 7,714.
Tunisian Ministry of Health announced the detection of three new imported COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infected people to 1,071.
Yemen's Health Ministry on Friday confirmed five new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 283 in the country's provinces controlled by the government.
Lebanon's COVID-19 infections increased on Friday by four cases to 1,172, while the death toll remained unchanged at 26.
The Lebanese cabinet has imposed a few days ago a fine of 50,000 Lebanese pounds (33 U.S. dollars) on those who do not wear masks while walking on the streets or using public transportation. ■
