People wearing face mask walk on a street in Tonekabon city of northern Iran, on June 6, 2020. (Xinhua photo/Ahmad Halabisaz)
-- Iran's COVID-19 cases cross threshold of 180,000;
-- Chinese medical team assists Palestinian fight against COVID-19;
-- China donates anti-COVID-19 medical supplies to Lebanon;
-- Sudan, Libya hail China's anti-coronavirus help.
CAIRO, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Thursday crossed another major threshold as its total number of COVID-19 cases surpassed 180,000; Meanwhile, China continues to offer anti-coronavirus help to Middle East countries.
Iran, which has re-emerged as the hardest-hit country by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East region, reported 2,238 new cases over the past 24 hours, taking the total confirmed cases to 180,156.
The country also reported 78 more deaths from the virus, raising the death toll to 8,584.
So far, 142,663 patients have recovered from the infectious respiratory disease.
On Thursday, a visiting Chinese medical expert team, sent by China's National Health Commission, kicked off their mission to assist the Palestinian fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Ishtaye (C) and members of Chinese medical team pose for a group photo upon their meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on June 11, 2020. (Xinhua photo/Ayman Nobani)
The Chinese team met with Palestinian health officials and experts, including Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila.
The Chinese experts also joined a panel discussion at the Palestinian Ministry of Health, during which they listened to a presentation made by the ministry's preventive medicine and public health departments to explain the pandemic situation in Palestine.
Hu Peng, head of the Chinese team, said that his team was interested in the "comprehensive recovery and the treatment and diagnosis of the COVID-19 all over Palestine," as positive results have been achieved by the Palestinian medical staff.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Ishtaye hailed the visit of the Chinese medical expert team tasked with helping Palestine fight against COVID-19, saying it constitutes a message of "both medical and political solidarity."
So far, 665 cases have been confirmed in Palestine, including five deaths.
China on Thursday donated a new batch of medical supplies to Lebanon to help its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Wang Kejian (L) and Lebanese Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti pose for photos during a press conference in Beirut, Lebanon, on June 11, 2020. (Xinhua photo/Bilal Jawich)
The donation, including 17,500 masks, 1,500 protective gears, 1,320 goggles and 1,000 shoe covers, will help public hospitals in Lebanon in the fight against COVID-19.
Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Wang Kejian highlighted the importance of the cooperation among the countries to overcome the crisis.
"Cooperation is the strongest weapon against the pandemic. China assumes its responsibilities to protect not only its people but also people all over the world," Wang said at the handover ceremony.
Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections increased on Thursday by 14 cases to 1,402, while the death toll went up by one case to 31.
Meanwhile, China's efforts to help the Middle East countries fight against COVID-19 have been hailed by regional countries.
Sudan on Thursday once again expressed gratitude to China for its anti-coronavirus help, as a Chinese team of medical experts concluded a two-week mission of supporting Sudan's fight against COVID-19.
"We thank the friendly state of China for this medical assistance and for the visit of the Chinese medical team which visited a number of medical sites in Sudan," said Omer Gamar-Eddin, Sudan's state minister for foreign affairs.
Chinese Ambassador to Sudan Ma Xinmin, for his part, told Xinhua that China and Sudan, as close friends and strategic partners, have worked together to fight the virus.
Sudan has so far reported a total of 6,582 COVID-19 cases, including 401 deaths and 2,202 recoveries.
The charge d'affaires of the Libyan embassy in Tunisia on Thursday praised the medical aid from China, which has arrived in neighboring Tunisia and will reach Libya in a few days.
Wang Qimin, charge d'affaires of the Chinese embassy to Libya(L)hands over a letter of a batch of medical aid from China to Khalifa al-Azzabi, charge d'affaires of the Libyan embassy in Tunisia (R), in Tunis, capital of Tunisa, on June 11, 2020. (Xinhua photo)
Khalifa al-Azzabi expressed high appreciation for the historical friendship and cooperation between China and Libya, as well as sincere gratitude for the medical assistance that China has provided to Libya since the outbreak of COVID-19.
According to Libya's National Center for Disease Control, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country so far hit 378, including 59 recoveries and five deaths.
In Turkey, the total number of COVID-19 cases climbed to 174,023 after 987 new infections were reported, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Thursday said.
In a single day, 17 people died, taking the death toll to 4,763, the minister said.
Egypt confirmed on Thursday 1,442 COVID-19 cases, raising the total infections registered in the country to 39,726.
Meanwhile, 35 new patients died from the virus, bringing the death toll to 1,377 in Egypt.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi attended on Thursday a virtual mini-summit held by the African Union to discuss the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on the continent.
The president stressed that facing the coronavirus pandemic requires close cooperation among African countries to limit the spread of the virus in Africa, Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement.
The number of new daily coronavirus cases in Israel surpassed 200 on Thursday, for the first time since April 25.
Israeli Ministry of Health said 214 new patients were added, bringing the total number of cases to 18,569, while the number of death cases increased from 299 to 300.
Earlier on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that if the increase in morbidity continues, restrictions that were lifted would have to be reimposed.
Saudi Arabia registered on Thursday 3,733 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 116,021.
The death toll rose to 857 cases, with the reporting of 38 new fatalities, the health ministry tweeted.
The United Arab Emirates on Thursday announced 479 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 40,986.
It also confirmed two more deaths, pushing the country's death toll to 286.
The Iraqi Health Ministry on Thursday recorded 1,261 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections to 16,675 in the country.
It said that 31 more people died from the coronavirus during the day, bringing the death toll to 457, while 6,568 patients have recovered.
Kuwait on Thursday reported 609 new cases of COVID-19 and four more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 34,432 and the death toll to 279, the Health Ministry said in a statement.
Qatar on Thursday announced 1,476 new COVID-19 cases, increasing the tally of the confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 75,071.
Three more patients died, raising the fatalities to 69, the Qatari Health Ministry said.
Oman announced on Thursday 1,067 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 19,954.
The country also reported five more deaths, bringing the death toll to 89.
Morocco on Thursday reported 29 new infections of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the North African country to 8,537.
The country's COVID-19 death toll now stood at 211, as no new fatality was recorded in the last 24 hours.
