COVID-19 deaths rise in Sudan, Kuwait, Morocco

ISTANBUL

The death toll from coronavirus continued to rise in Sudan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman and Libya on Monday, as the Middle East struggles to combat the spread of the pandemic.

In a statement, the Sudanese Health Ministry said seven fatalities and 67 additional cases were registered, bringing the country’s tally to 10,316, including 657 deaths.

The ministry said recoveries rose to 5,403 after 62 patients had recovered.

In Kuwait, the Health Ministry said three people had died and 614 others contracted the disease over the past 24 hours.

Monday's tally pushed the total cases to 55,508, including 393 fatalities, and 45,356 recoveries.

In Morocco, the Health Ministry said it had registered three deaths and 76 fresh cases, pushing the total to 15,821, including 235 deaths, and 12,676 recoveries.

Also in Oman, the virus claimed two more lives, the health ministry said, adding that 2,164 cases and 1,159 recoveries were recorded in the last 24 hours.

The ministry said the total cases reached to 58,179, including 259 deaths, and 37,257 recoveries.

In Libya, government's National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) recorded one fatality and 44 additional cases.

A statement by the NCDC said the total number of cases rose to 1,433, including 39 deaths and 341 recoveries.

The coronavirus pandemic has claimed over 570,000 lives in 188 countries and regions since it originated in China last December.

More than 13 million COVID-19 cases have been reported around the world so far, with recoveries exceeding 7 million, according to figures compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins University.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat