Infections exceed 50,000 in Oman
SAUDI ARABIA RECORDS 220,144 VIRUS CASES; IRAN’S DEATH TOLL SURPASSES 12,000-MARK
Gulf News Report
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Gulf state of Oman exceeded 50,000 yesterday, the health ministry said.
The country reported 1,210 new cases and nine deaths in the last 24 hours, taking its total count to 50,207 cases with 233 deaths. A week ago, the health minister warned there had been a disturbing surge in infections in the last six weeks and urged people to comply with health measures.
Oman, a country of 4.7 million people, will start a 10-week nationwide survey on Sunday to analyse the spread of the virus, including taking blood samples to detect antibodies.
In March, Oman began to introduce lockdowns in certain regions such as Muscat, Dhofar and Duqm and some tourist towns, but since April it has gradually allowed commercial centres to reopen and lifted the lockdown in the Muscat region, which includes the capital.
Air and land borders remain closed, except for repatriation flights. Saudi Arabia has the highest number of confirmed infections in the six-nation GCC, which together have recorded more than 503,000 cases and more than 3,180 deaths.
Yesterday Saudi Ministry of Health confirmed 3,036 new cases, bringing the total number to 220,144. As many as 3,211 cases have recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 158,050.
Iran said that its deaths from coronavirus had surpassed 12,000, with authorities considering reimposing restrictive measures in Tehran to contain a resurgence of the disease.
It came a day after the Islamic republic reported its highest single-day fatality count of 200 from the Covid-19 illness.
Iran has been battling the Middle East’s deadliest outbreak of the virus since late February.
Health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said that another 153 deaths had been recorded over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 12,084. She said total cases had risen to 248,379 with 2,691 more people testing positive.
Fragile situation
“Tehran is facing a very fragile situation,” said Alireza Zali, the head of the city’s virus taskforce. “The number of infections, deaths and hospitalisations have been on a sharp rising trajectory in the past 10 days,” he was quoted as saying by ISNA news agency.
Qatar has reported the detection of 608 new coronavirus cases, pushing its total confirmed cases to 101,415.
According to the latest coronavirus updates, the Ministry of Public Health announced that four more people have died from Covid-19, taking the country’s death toll to 138.
Also 1,204 infected have made full recovery, bringing the total number of confirmed recoveries to 96,107.
Kuwait has confirmed 762 new cases over the past 24 hours, raising the country’s infection tally to 52,007, the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA reported. The latest cases comprise 501 Kuwaitis and 261 foreign residents, the Health Ministry’s spokesman Dr Abdullah Al Sanad said.
The total fatalities from Covid-19 in Kuwait has risen to 379 with two new deaths.