People wearing masks walk on the street in Ankara, Turkey, on Aug. 7, 2020. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)
-- Iran's COVID-19 cases cross 324,000, with 18,264 deaths;
-- Iraqi official hails role of Chinese-built testing lab;
-- Saudi Arabia reports 287,262 total cases;
-- Turkey's tally rises to 239,622.
CAIRO, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran's COVID-19 cases surpassed 324,000 on Saturday. Meanwhile, an Iraqi official said the Chinese-built lab for COVID-19 testing has played a critical role in helping the Iraqi Ministry of Health battle COVID-19.
Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said the pandemic has so far claimed 18,264 lives in Iran, up by 132 in the past 24 hours.
Besides, 282,122 have recovered and been discharged from hospitals while 4,148 remain in critical condition.
A medic performs COVID-19 testing at a Chinese-built lab in Baghdad, Iraq on July 29, 2020. (Xinhua Photo)
In Iraq, the new 3,325 cases have brought the total nationwide infections to 147,389.
It also reported 74 more fatalities, raising the death toll to 5,310, while 2,307 more patients recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 105,504.
Mohammed Ghanim Mahdi, director of a Chinese-built lab for COVID-19 testing, said from boosting testing capacities to setting a high standard of testing protocol, the lab has played a critical role in helping the Iraqi Ministry of Health battle COVID-19 since its inauguration in Baghdad's Medical City on March 25.
"The lab was equipped and established by a donation from the Chinese government at a critical time," Mahdi said. "When this lab was established, Iraq had only one working lab fighting COVID-19."
With the help of advanced Chinese equipment and 50,000 diagnostics kits, the new lab has so far tested some 28,000 samples, according to Mahdi.
Saudi Arabia announced 1,469 new cases and 37 more deaths, raising the tally of confirmed cases to 287,262 and the death toll to 3,130.
The kingdom also reported 1,492 more recovered patients, taking the total recoveries to 250,440.
A woman wearing a face mask walks on a street in downtown Tehran, Iran, on Aug 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)
In Turkey, the total number of COVID-19 cases climbed to 239,622 after 1,172 new infections were reported, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted.
The death toll from the virus in the country rose to 5,829 after 16 new fatalities were added in the past 24 hours, Koca said, adding the total recoveries rose to 222,656.
The Qatari health ministry announced 267 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 112,650.
Meanwhile, 296 more recovered from the virus, bringing the total recoveries to 109,438, while the death toll increased by two to 182, according to the ministry.
Oman reported 290 new COVID-19 cases, including 59 non-Omanis, raising the total number in the country to 81,357.
Meanwhile, 1,218 more patients recovered from the virus, bringing the total recovered cases to 73,481, while seven more died, taking the death toll to 509, the health ministry said in a statement.
Children collect garbage during a beach-cleanup campaign in Mubarak Al-Kabeer Governorate, Kuwait, Aug. 8, 2020. (Xinhua/Ghazy Qaffaf)
Kuwait reported 472 new COVID-19 cases and three more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 71,199 and the death toll to 474, the Health Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry also announced the recovery of 476 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 62,806.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced 239 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 62,300.
In the meantime, 230 more patients recovered from the virus, taking the tally of recoveries in the UAE to 56,245, while the death toll remains unchanged at 356.
Morocco reported 1,345 new COVID-19 cases, the biggest single-day increase so far, taking the number of infections in the country to 32,007.
The total recoveries increased by 642 to 22,190, while the death toll rose by 19 to 480 in the past 24 hours.
Palestine reported 426 new COVID-19 cases, taking the tally of infections in the Palestinian territories to 18,374, including 10,039 recoveries and 103 deaths.
Lebanon's number of COVID-19 cases increased by 272 to 6,223 while the death toll went up by eight to 78, the Health Ministry said.
Health Minister Hamad Hassan repeated the call for citizens to take precautionary measures against the deadly virus, noting hospitals are busy responding to the Beirut explosions that killed at least 158 and injured 6,000 others.
Syria reported 65 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number in the country to 1,125 since March, said the health ministry.
The National Center for Disease Control of Libya announced 200 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 5,079.
Eight new recovered cases and one new death were reported, bringing the total recoveries to 660 and death toll to 108, the Center said in a statement. ■
