People wearing mask are seen at a subway station in downtown Tehran, Iran, on May 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)
--Turkey's COVID-19 cases total 163,942;
--Death toll from COVID-19 in Iran hits 7,797;
--Egypt reports highest 1,536 daily new cases;
--China extends anti-virus help to Jordan, Sudan.
CAIRO, May 31 (Xinhua) -- China on Sunday extended its help in Jordan and Sudan to fight the novel coronavirus, as the pandemic is still raging in the Middle East.
Jordan and China on Sunday signed an agreement under which China donated a batch of medical supplies to the kingdom to help combat the coronavirus.
The Chinese medical donation includes 10,000 medical protection gears, 60,000 medical face masks, 10,000 gloves, 200 body temperature scanning devices and 20,000 testing kits, Chinese Ambassador to Jordan Pan Weifang said in a statement.
Jordan's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Wisam Rabadi said the donation represents China's commitment to supporting Jordan, particularly during the critical times, to better cope with the impact of COVID-19.
"We will continue to count on China as a key partner to Jordan," he added.
On April 4, a batch of medical supplies was donated to Jordan by China's Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation.
On April 27, China's State Development & Investment Corporation donated medical supplies worth 1.2 million U.S. dollars to Jordan.
Chinese Ambassador to Jordan Pan Weifang (L) delivers a speech during a handover ceremony of medical supplies donated by China in Amman, Jordan, on May 31, 2020. (Xinhua/Mohammad Abu Ghosh)
Also on Sunday, Chinese medical experts in Sudan held a video conference over the prevention of COVID-19.
Chinese medical experts answered questions related to the coronavirus and introduced the personal protection measures.
The Chinese team arrived in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on May 28 from Algeria after ending its two-week anti-coronavirus mission there.
In late March, the Chinese Embassy in Sudan donated over 400,000 surgical masks to the Sudanese government.
On April 23, Chinese medical experts held a video conference with Sudanese counterparts to share China's experiences in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
Egypt reported on Sunday a new record of 1,536 COVID-19 daily infections, raising the total number of cases registered in the country to 24,985.
It is the fourth consecutive day for Egypt's COVID-19 daily infections to surpass 1,000.
Meanwhile, the most populous Arab country saw the highest-single day fatalities as 46 patients died from the novel coronavirus on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 959.
Turkish health minister on Sunday confirmed 839 new COVID-19 cases, noting that the increase is within predictable margins.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in Turkey climbed to 163,942, while the death toll hit 4,540, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted.
The total number of recovered cases stood at 127,973 in Turkey since the outbreak, he added.
Two women wearing masks sit on a bench at a park in Ankara, Turkey, on May 31, 2020. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)
Iran on Sunday registered 63 new deaths over the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 7,797.
Kianush Jahanpur, head of Public Relations and Information Center of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, confirmed 2,516 new infection cases, taking the total cases to 151,466.
He said a total of 118,848 patients have recovered so far, while 2,527 are still in critical condition.
Saudi Arabia recorded 1,877 new coronavirus cases, increasing the total infections to 85,261.
The kingdom's death toll from the pandemic reached 503 after reporting 23 new fatalities.
Meanwhile, the kingdom reopened 90,000 mosques in various regions on Sunday, as part of a series of steps to ease the precautionary measures against coronavirus.
Qatar's health ministry announced 1,648 new infections of the virus, increasing the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 56,910.
"Some 4,451 people recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 30,290, while two died, raising the fatalities to 38," the official Qatar News Agency reported, quoting a ministry statement.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday announced 661 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 34,557.
UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention said 386 more patients have recovered, taking the tally of the UAE's recoveries to 17,932.
It also confirmed two more deaths, pushing the country's death toll to 264.
Kuwait reported 851 new cases of COVID-19 and seven more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 27,043 and the death toll to 212, its health ministry said.
The ministry also announced the recovery of 1,230 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 11,386.
Moroccan Health Ministry on Sunday reported 27 new infections with COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the North African country to 7,807.
The number of the recoveries increased to 5,459 after 58 new ones were added, and the death toll from the virus rose by one to 205.
Iraqi Health Ministry confirmed 260 new cases, as the total number of infections climbed to 6,439.
Ten more people died during the day, bringing the death toll in the country to 205, while 3,156 have recovered so far.
Israel's Ministry of Health reported 59 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total to 17,071.
The number of death cases has increased from 284 to 285, while the number of recoveries reached 14,792.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that new restrictions will be re-imposed if the coronavirus spread in the country continues, after most of the lockdown rules had been lifted.
Muslim worshippers are seen at the al-Aqsa mosque compound, Islam's third holiest site, in Jerusalem's Old City on May 31, 2020. (Xinhua/Muammar Awad)
Palestine on Sunday declared that two new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the West Bank, bringing the total number to 627.
The rate of recovery from the deadly virus has exceeded 83 percent, while 22,990 Palestinians are currently placed under home quarantine.
Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem was opened on Sunday after 70 days of closing as part of precautionary and protective measures to avoid the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Yemen's Health Ministry on Sunday confirmed 13 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the tally of infections to 323 in the country's provinces controlled by the government.
Meanwhile, the death toll from the deadly respiratory disease climbed to 80 after three new deaths were recorded.
Also on Sunday, Yemen's health authorities controlled by the Houthi militia confirmed the arrival of a medical shipment dispatched by the UN Children's Fund to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in the war-ravaged country. ■
