Coronavirus in Iran, Gulf states and Middle East

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Qatar- 255 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, 207 recoveries

(MENAFN - Gulf Times) 255 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 were announced today. 206 of these are from community cases and 49 from travellers returning from abroad.

207 people have recovered from the virus during the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases recovered in Qatar to 136513.

In addition, the Ministry announces one new death, aged 57- who was receiving the necessary medical care.

All new cases have been introduced to isolation and are receiving necessary healthcare according to their health status.

Source: https://menafn.com/1101223054/Qatar-255-new-confirmed-cases-of-Covid-19-207-recoveries&source=27.

 

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Iran reveals its COVID-19 data for December 2

(MENAFN - Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec. 2

By Elnur Baghishov – Trend:

As many as 13,621 people have been infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours in Iran, said Sima Sadat Lari, spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, https://en.trend.az/ Trend reports citing the ministry.

According to Sadat Lari, 362 more people have died from the coronavirus over the past day.

Sadat Lari added that the condition of 5,828 people is critical.

So far, more than 6.21 million tests have been conducted in Iran for the diagnosis of coronavirus.

Iran continues to monitor the coronavirus situation in the country. According to recent reports from the Iranian officials, over 989,500 people have been infected, and 48,990 people have already died. Meanwhile, over 688,000 have reportedly recovered from the disease.

The country continues to apply strict measures to contain further spread. Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease.

The Islamic Republic only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19.

The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019.

Source: https://menafn.com/1101221156/Iran-reveals-its-COVID-19-data-for-December-2&source=28.

 

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Jordan- 52 COVID deaths, 3,591 infections recorded Wednesday

(MENAFN - Jordan Times) AMMAN — Fifty-two COVID-19 deaths and 3,591 virus cases were recorded in the Kingdom on Wednesday, increasing the caseload to 227,208, the government announced.

The new fatalities took the Kingdom's coronavirus death toll to 2,854, according to a joint statement issued by the Prime Ministry and the Ministry of Health.

The cases comprised 890 infections in Amman, 1,047 in Irbid, including 244 in Ramtha District, 283 in Zarqa, 315 in Karak, 74 in Jerash, 194 in Balqa, 121 in Aqaba, 86 in Madaba, 279 in Mafraq, 54 in Maan, including 20 in Petra, 191 in Ajloun and 57 in Tafileh.

The statement added that there are currently 55,925 active COVID-19 cases in the Kingdom.

A total of 226 COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospitals on Wednesday, taking the number of patients currently receiving treatment for COVID-19 in hospitals to 1,774, of which 426 patients are in ICUs.

The statement added that 5,470 recoveries were registered in hospitals and home quarantine on Wednesday, bringing the total number of recoveries to 168,429.

A total of 24,615 virus tests were also conducted on Wednesday, bringing the cumulative number of coronavirus tests administered since the outbreak of the pandemic to 2,601,896, with the share of tests returning a positive result, known as positive rate, standing at 14.6 per cent, the statement added.

Amid the growing number of local infections, the Ministry of Health has renewed its call on the public to abide by defence orders, as well as to adhere to precautionary measures, mainly wearing face masks and avoiding holding gatherings that exceed 20 people.

The ministry also called on the public to follow its 'I Protect Them' awareness campaign, which aims to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through increasing public commitment to preventive measures to protect individuals and their beloved ones.

Source: https://menafn.com/1101224074/Jordan-52-COVID-deaths-3591-infections-recorded-Wednesday&source=27.

 

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Coronavirus: UAE reports 1,285 Covid-19 cases, 713 recoveries, 4 deaths

(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Wednesday reported 1,285 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 713 recoveries and 4 deaths.

As many as new 136,483 Covid-19 tests were carried out, taking the total number of tests conducted to nearly 16.9 million.

Total number of cases in UAE stand at 171,434, while recoveries are 156,380. Death toll stands at 580 as of December 2.

The total number of active cases in the country are 14,474.

UAE remembers frontliners who died battling pandemic

On Commemoration Day (November 30), the leadership and people came together to recognise and remember the fallen frontline heroes who have sacrificed their lives to provide a better future for people in the country.

"In what has been an unprecedented year, this is a day for us all to reflect and remember our nation's frontline professionals who worked tirelessly to protect us all from coronavirus and made the ultimate sacrifice," Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Frontline Heroes Office said in a statement issued earlier this week.

The office revealed the names of frontliners who sacrificed their lives as they battled Covid-19.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Monday called the families of the heroes who passed away while battling to contain the coronavirus pandemic on the frontline.

During the phone conversations, Sheikh Mohamed expressed thanks and appreciation for the great role the fallen heroes played and the dedication they demonstrated while working to combat the pandemic. He said the Emirati community will never forget their sacrifices.

"We are very proud of our heroes who lived with us and were part of our social fabric. They worked hard to protect our health and to ensure our safety during difficult times," he said.

Sheikh Mohamed added that the people of the UAE cherish their heroes, Emiratis and residents alike, look up to them as role models and value their sacrifices.

"The UAE will never forget the sacrifices made by Dr Sudhir Rambhau Washimkar, nurse Lezly Orione, Anvar Ali, Ahmed Al Sebaei, Dr. Bassam Bernieh and other heroes who sacrificed their lives to protect our loved ones. The families of the heroes of humanity are part of our society and the UAE will always support and stand by them."

UAE's vaccine trials, distribution plan

The vaccine trials are being administered on the country's first line of defenders, as they are more vulnerable to infection than others, and to the elderly and people with chronic diseases, announced Dr Omar Al Hammadi, the official spokesperson for the UAE Government on Monday.

Speaking at the Covid-19 weekly briefing ahead of the 49th National Day celebrations, Dr Hammadi, said, 'At the beginning of the trials, the https://www.khaleejtimes.com/corona...istribution-plan-issues-national-day-advisory vaccination will not be given to children and pregnant women until safety is assured, after that the scope of vaccinations will be expanded to include other groups.

'The highest priority in the current period is the provision and development of a safe vaccine. The success of a vaccine, its effectiveness and safety, will be a success for all humanity against this pandemic, he added.

The UAE has launched the Hope Coalition initiative to facilitate the distribution of 6 billion doses around the world, increasing this capacity to 18 billion by the end of 2021, as the leadership demonstrates the importance of taking responsibility globally.

Source: https://menafn.com/1101223009/Coronavirus-UAE-reports-1285-Covid-19-cases-713-recoveries-4-deaths.

 

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COVID-19: UAE reports 5 deaths, 1,317 coronavirus cases

The updated numbers were reported on Thursday

Dubai: The UAE has confirmed 1,317 new cases of COVID-19, taking the overall tally in the country to 172,751.

According to the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), the latest coronavirus patients, all of whom are in a stable condition and receiving the necessary care, were identified after conducting more than 132,380 additional COVID-19 tests among UAE citizens and residents over the past few days.

Meanwhile, the number of recoveries has gone up to 157,035 after 655 COVID-19 patients received the all-clear.

Five more deaths were also reported in the past 24 hours, pushing the country’s COVID-19 death toll to 585.

The ministry expressed its sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and wished a speedy recovery to all patients, calling on the public to cooperate with health authorities and comply with all

precautionary measures, particularly social distancing protocols, to ensure the safety and protection of the public.

Source: https://gulfnews.com/uae/health/covid-19-uae-reports-5-deaths-1317-coronavirus-cases-1.1606976897270.

 

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184 new coronavirus cases, 5 deaths reported in Oman

Muscat: The Ministry of Health has registered 184 new coronavirus cases and 5 deaths in Oman.

The total cases in the country have now touched 124,329 including 115866 recoveries and 1435 deaths, according to MOH.

In the past 24 hours, 253 recoveries were reported.

The ministry urged everyone to adhere to social distancing instructions issued by the Supreme Committee and the MOH.

Source: https://timesofoman.com/article/184-new-coronavirus-cases-5-deaths-reported-in-oman.

 

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Single-day coronavirus deaths in KSA fall to record low as new cases remain below 250

Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health recorded on Thursday 230 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, marking a steady decline in single-day infections that have remained below 300 for many days.

The ministry also reported 11 more deaths in the past 24 hours, marking the lowest single-day virus-related fatalities in more than eight months since the outbreak of the coronavirus in the Kingdom.

This brings the total number of confirmed infections in the Kingdom to 358,102 and the deaths to 5,930.

The ministry also reported 368 new recoveries over the past 24 hours, raising the total number of people free from the deadly virus to 347,881 with the recovery rate climbing to 97.14 percent.

Of the new cases, the Riyadh region recorded the highest number of cases with 78 followed by the Makkah region with 42, the Eastern region with 29 and the Madinah region with 20 cases.

The remaining cases were detected in different cities and governorates across the Kingdom.

With the steady drop in the number of daily cases and the spike in recoveries, the active cases in the Kingdom also came down significantly with 4,291 reported on Thursday, and out of the total, 607 were critical cases.

Source: https://saudigazette.com.sa/article...l-to-record-low-as-new-cases-remain-below-250.

 

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Palestine hits highest daily Covid-19 infections since pandemic outbreak
RAMALLAH, Thursday, December 03, 2020 (WAFA) – Palestine today recorded 2,738 new novel coronavirus cases and 19 fatalities, hitting the highest daily infections since the pandemic outbreak in March.

Health Minister Mai al-Kaileh announced that 2,738 Palestinians tested positive for the highly contagious virus and 19 others died of it in the occupied territories.

Among the 2,738 new cases, 266 cases were recorded in Hebron governorate, 311 in Nablus, 162 in Bethlehem, 64 in Qalqilia, 192 in Ramallah & al-Bireh, 342 in Jenin, 19 in Jericho & the Jordan Valley, 105 in Salfit, 134 in Tulkarm, 50 in Tubas, 44 in Jerusalem suburbs, 222 in Jerusalem city and 827 in the Gaza Strip.

Al-Kaileh identified the 19 new fatalities 15 from the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and four others from the Gaza Strip. The West Bank fatalities were distributed as follows: four in Jenin governorate, three in Nablus, three in Ramallah & al-Bireh, one in Qalqilia, one in Tulkarm, one in Hebron and two others in Jerusalem city.

Al-Kaileh confirmed the recovery of 1,469 Covid-19 patients as 74 others are still receiving treatment at the intensive care units, including 17 who are connected to respirators.

According to the latest coronavirus data, the confirmed cases in the occupied territories (West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza) reached 106,312.

Out of the 106,312 cases, 69,685 are recorded in the West Bank, 23,023 in the Gaza Strip and 13,604 in East Jerusalem.

Recoveries have totaled 80,853, and the death toll reached 873, leaving a total of 24,586 active cases.

Recoveries account for 76.1 percent of total cases since the pandemic outbreak in March, active cases for 23.1 percent and the death toll accounts for 0.8 percent.

Source: https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/122233.

 

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Iraq reports 2,039 new COVID-19 cases, 558,767 in total

BAGHDAD, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry reported on Thursday 2,039 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total nationwide infections to 558,767.

The new cases included 612 in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, 287 in Nineveh, 261 in Kirkuk, 120 in Diyala, and 101 in Babil, while the other cases were detected in the other provinces, the ministry said in a statement.

It also reported 21 new deaths and 1,550 more recovered cases in the country, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 12,361 and the total recoveries to 487,863.

A total of 3,576,592 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February, with 32,870 done during the day, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi Health Ministry said in a statement that it had carried out several rounds of talks with drugmaker Pfizer-BioNTech to purchase the company's COVID-19 vaccine, stressing that there are conditions set earlier by Iraqi advisory committees for vaccines, which were approved by the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety, headed by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

One of the most important conditions was the approval of the vaccine by international organizations, including the World Health Organization, the statement said, adding that the ministry is preparing for a meeting with the Pfizer company to discuss the mechanism of securing logistical issues.

The ministry is also in contact with the multinational pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and other companies, but it is also awaiting approval by international organizations for its COVID-19 vaccine to start the negotiations, according to the statement.

Iraq has taken a series of measures to contain the pandemic since February when the first coronavirus case appeared in the country.

China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad.

Since March 7, China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq. Enditem

Source: http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2020-12/04/content_76976097.htm.

 

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Coronavirus: UAE reports 1,311 Covid-19 cases, 793 recoveries 1 death

(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Friday reported 1,311 cases of Covid-19, along with 793 recoveries. One death was also reported.

As many as 113,928 new Covid-19 tests were carried out, taking the total number of tests carried out in the country to nearly 17.1 million so far.

On Friday, worshippers across the UAE moved to mosques as they opened for Friday prayers after eight months. Strict safety measures, including mandatory facemasks and social distancing were observed by the worshippers. Friday prayers were performed in the mosques with 30 per cent capacity.

The raging coronavirus disease pandemic, which has infected over 65 million people and claimed at least 1.5 million lives to date, has made a majority of the global population vulnerable to the viral outbreak.

A vaccine will help us fight the viral infection by stopping us from contracting SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease, or at least making Covid-19 less deadly.

Pfizer/BioNTech was the first pharmaceutical major to make the biggest breakthrough when it published its first results in November and the United Kingdom (UK) will roll it out next week.

Source: https://menafn.com/1101234731/Coron...vid-19-cases-793-recoveries-1-death&source=30.

 

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Jordan registers 51 COVID-19 related deaths, 3,116 new infections

(MENAFN - Jordan News Agency) Amman, Dec. 4 (Petra)-- Jordan has recorded 51 COVID-19 related deaths and 3,116 infections Friday, bringing the total number of cases since the beginning of the crisis to 234,353.
The new cases include 1,041 in Irbid, including 302 in Ramtha, 888 in Amman, 304 in Mafraq, 211 in Jerash, 116 in Karak, 31 in Ajloun, 26 in Tafilah, 249 in Zarqa, 168 in Balqa, 47 in Madaba, 27 in Ma'an, including 12 in Petra, and 8 in Aqaba.
A total of 173 cases have been admitted to the hospitals, and 203 have been discharged upon recovery.
A total of 21,761 PCR tests have been conducted, bringing the total number of tests conducted since the beginning of the crisis to 2,648,917.
Friday, 14.3 percent of PCR tests have come back positive.

Source: https://menafn.com/1101235231/Jorda...-related-deaths-3116-new-infections&source=27.

 

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Iran reveals its COVID-19 data for December 4

(MENAFN - Trend News Agency) Some 347 people in Iran have died as a result of the coronavirus disease over the past 24 hours, Iranian Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Friday, http://Trend.az Trend reports citing https://en.irna.ir/news/84134603/Some-347-more-Iranians-die-from-COVID-19 İRNA.

Sadat Lari added that 49,695 citizens have passed away from coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country so far.

She pointed out that 708,106 people out of a total of 1,016,835 people infected with the deadly virus have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.

The official noted that 13,341 new infected cases have been detected in Iran, some 1,996 of whom have been hospitalized, over the past 24 hours.

Some 5,824 other COVID-19 patients are in critical condition and being treated in intensive care units, the spokeswoman said.

The outbreak of dangerous coronavirus (COVID-19) has been affecting the world for a number of months requiring a collective campaign of the international community to thwart the threat posed to humanity by the pandemic.

Source: https://menafn.com/1101235559/Iran-reveals-its-COVID-19-data-for-December-4.

 

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Palestine on verge of a total Covid-19 lockdown

Ramallah, Dec 4 (Prensa Latina) The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) could resort to a total lockdown to stop a severe wave of Covid-19 in the territories under its jurisdiction where more than 2,000 cases are daily reported, Al-Ayyam newspaper informed on Friday.

According to a recent report, the Ministry's experts diagnosed some 2,738 cases in 24 hours, 827 of them were located in the Gaza Strip -blocked and bombed by Israel- and the remainder in the occupied West Bank, the newspaper announced.

From the outbreak of Covid-19 in March to date, some 797 Palestinians have died due to the serious disease, while 106,312 people got infected with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, causing Covid-19.

In order to contain the pandemic, PNA President Mahmoud Abbas maintained a state of emergency for ninth month, which allows establishing complete or partial blockades in villages and cities, as well as refugee camps, among other prerogatives.

Palestinian Authority imposed a night-time and weekend comprehensive curfew, a period in which all establishments stop working, except hospitals.

Health Minister Mai Al-Kaileh warned that the next wave of the virus could occur in December and it could intensify in January 2021, for which she called to step up cares.

Source: https://www.plenglish.com/index.php...lestine-on-verge-of-a-total-covid-19-lockdown.

 

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Tehran, Iran – Iran has extended many coronavirus-related restrictions across the country as its COVID-19 death toll went past 50,000 on Saturday.

Iran, the worst affected country in the Middle East, is battling its third wave of the epidemic.

On Thursday, it surpassed one million coronavirus cases.

Cities across the country, including capital Tehran, have just emerged from partial two-week shutdowns.

All but essential services were shut down in its cities, depending on the severity levels, and attendance at government offices was reduced.

Officials regularly update a colour-coded list of cities and counties based on the number of confirmed COVID-19 hospitalisations, classifying them from “white” denoting no danger to “red” that shows the highest level of alarm.

As announced on Saturday, partial shutdowns will continue in regions still classified as “red”.

A night-time curfew has also been extended to 278 cities that are currently classified as “orange”, denoting regions that have improved.

A mandatory mask rule will continue to be enforced across the country.

According to Alireza Raisi, a spokesman of the national coronavirus task force, 6,400 people with coronavirus have also been barred from getting on public transport.

According to the authorities, the two-week shutdown improved Tehran’s status to “orange” after months of being in “red”.

On Saturday, President Hassan Rouhani warned that Tehran was “on the brink” of slipping back and if people and authorities were not extremely vigilant, the metropolis could regress to pre-shutdown conditions.

A report by the state broadcaster on Saturday showed metro stations and buses in Tehran were once again packed as businesses reopened.

“Naturally it’s more crowded again, people have to go to work,” one man, who was inside a packed bus, said.

According to Rouhani, while most parts of Iran – including Tehran – were experiencing downward trajectories, cases were rising in seven areas and required immediate attention.

“We must continue being careful even if a vaccine arrives,” said Rouhani.

Iran experienced its highest daily infection rate of 14,051 on November 27 while the highest single-day death toll of 486 was registered on November 16.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/5/iran-extends-restrictions-as-covid-19-deaths-surpass-50000

 

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Jordan- 50 COVID deaths, 3,160 infections recorded Saturday

(MENAFN - Jordan Times) AMMAN — Fifty COVID-19 deaths and 3,160 infections were recorded in the Kingdom on Saturday, increasing the caseload to 237,513, the government announced.

The reported fatalities took the Kingdom's coronavirus death toll to 3,010, according to a joint statement issued by the Prime Ministry and the Ministry of Health.

The local cases comprised 1,014 infections in Amman, 240 in Zarqa, 659 in Irbid, including 25 in Ramtha District, 13 in Maan, including one in Petra, 86 in Aqaba, 201 in Ajloun, 40 in Madaba, 127 in Balqa, 196 in Karak, 352 in Mafraq, 92 in Tafileh and 140 in Jerash.

A total of 154 COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospitals on Saturday, increasing the number of cases receiving treatment in hospitals to 1,682, of which 406 patients were in ICUs, the statement said, adding that 87 recovered patients left hospitals.

The statement also said that 5,268 people left hospitals and recovered in home quarantine on Saturday, bringing the total number of recoveries to 182,463.

A total of 18,624 virus tests were also conducted on Saturday, bringing the cumulative number of coronavirus tests administered to 2,667,541, with the share of tests returning a positive result, known as positive rate, standing at 16.97 per cent, the statement added.

Amid the growing number of local infections, the Ministry of Health has renewed its call on the public to abide by defence orders, as well as to adhere to precautionary measures, mainly wearing face masks and avoiding holding gatherings that exceed 20 people.

The ministry also called on the public to follow its 'I Protect Them' awareness campaign, which aims to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through increasing public commitment to preventive measures to protect individuals, their families and society members.

Source: https://menafn.com/1101239189/Jordan-50-COVID-deaths-3160-infections-recorded-Saturday.

 

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Daily coronavirus report in Palestine: Fifteen deaths, 1422 new cases, and 1030 recoveries

RAMALLAH, Saturday, December 05, 2020 (WAFA) – Fifteen people have died of coronavirus in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours, 1422 new cases were recorded, and 1030 have recovered, today said Minister of Health Mai Alkaila in her daily coronavirus report in Palestine. No data was available from East Jerusalem.

She said 10 people have died in the West Bank, where 838 new cases were recorded, including 197 in Nablus district, Bethlehem, which is getting ready to light the Christmas tree tonight, had 154 cases, Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority, had 112 cases, Jenin 96, Hebron 84 and Tulkarm 79, among others. A total of 588 have recovered in the West Bank.

The Minister said five people have died in the Gaza Strip, 584 new cases were recorded and 442 have recovered in the last 24 hours.

A total of 69 patients are currently getting treatment in intensive care, among them 20 on respirators.

Of the total cases recorded since the outbreak of the pandemic in Palestine in March, 76.4 percent have recovered, 22.8 percent are still active and 0.8 percent have died.

Source: https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/122258.

 

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Covid-19: UAE will be the fastest country in the world to recover, says Sheikh Mohammed

Sheikh Mohammed announces launch of Gitex Technology Week tomorrow
The UAE will conclude 2020 with Gitex Technology Week, as the country starts 2021 with a series of projects and major initiatives, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has said.

This came as Sheikh Mohammed announced the launch of Gitex tomorrow, December 6. The event will be on at the Dubai World Trade Centre till December 10.

“Gitex will be the most important technology event in 2020 ... The UAE will be the fastest country in the world to recover and our institutions have proven their ability to adapt,” Sheikh Mohammed tweeted.

He reminded his over 10.4 million Twitter followers that 2021 is the UAE’s 50th year and vowed that its silver jubilee will be better than all other years.

Source: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/news/c...-in-the-world-to-recover-says-sheikh-mohammed.

 

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Coronavirus: UAE reports 1,153 Covid-19 cases, 634 recoveries, 3 deaths

(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Sunday reported 1,153 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 634 recoveries. Three deaths were also reported.

As many as new 92,147 Covid-19 tests were carried out, taking the total number of tests carried out in the country to nearly 17.4 million so far.

The UAE has conducted over 17.32 million tests till date as part of the country's massive screening programmes to combat the spread of Covid-19.

Source: https://menafn.com/1101241169/Coronavirus-UAE-reports-1153-Covid-19-cases-634-recoveries-3-deaths.

 

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Iran may not see a coronavirus vaccine for two years - health commission

Bakhtabadi told the state-run Iran Students News Agency (ISNA) that "people of Iran should know that there is no coronavirus vaccine available for them at the moment."

One of the sitting members of the Iranian Health Commission, Sameh Bakhtabadi, claimed that a coronavirus will not be distributed in Iran for at least two years, if not longer.
According to Radio Farda, Bakhtabadi told the state-run Iran Students News Agency (ISNA) that the "people of Iran should know there is no coronavirus vaccine available for them at the moment."
"European countries have already purchased the vaccine and are set to use it. So, it will not be Iran's turn soon," Bakhtabadi said, according to the report. "Transportation of the coronavirus vaccine also has its specific complications," Bakhtabadi noted, adding that "Iran should rule out the import of vaccines from the United States."
However, these comments are contrast to Health Minister Saeed Namakis' remarks that Iran is in the midst of securing 18 million doses of the vaccine from European nations. According to the Radio Farda report, the minister said Iran had secured "four sources" to purchase the doses from.
It adds that Iran intends to work with the vaccine developers to buy surplus inventory.
President Hassan Rouhani said in televised remarks that he had instructed Iran’s Central Bank to provide the funds needed to import coronavirus vaccines.
Iran's total deaths from coronavirus surpassed 50,000 on Saturday, with more than one million people infected, although transmission rates in the Middle East's worst-affected country are slowing, state TV reported.
Tehran's Grand Bazaar, shopping malls and several other businesses re-opened after a two-week shutdown, following a 10-percent drop in infections over the past days.
Officials cautioned that the situation remained "fragile" in Tehran and in the other cities that have moved from the coronavirus red alert to the lower risk orange level, said the broadcast.
Iran's health ministry recorded a total of 50,016 coronavirus deaths on Saturday with 321 new fatalities in the previous 24 hours.
Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV that 12,181 people had been infected with the coronavirus since Friday, taking the total number of COVID-19 infections to 1,028,986.

Source: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/i...accine-for-two-years-health-commission-651277.

 

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Palestine confirms 17 deaths, 2333 new cases of coronavirus

RAMALLAH, Sunday, December 06, 2020 (WAFA) – Seventeen people have died of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, 2333 new cases were recorded in Palestine - including 393 new cases in Jerusalem in the last 72 hours - and 1758 have recovered, today said Minister of Health Mai Alkaila in her daily coronavirus report in Palestine.

She said 11 people have died of the disease in the West Bank, five in the Gaza Strip, and one in Jerusalem.

The new cases that were recorded in the West Bank in the past 24 hours were distributed as follows: 247 in Hebron, 149 in Jenin, 246 in Nablus, 102 in Tulkarem, 179 in Ramallah and al-Bireh, 37 in Salfit, 24 in Qalqilia, 51 in Tubas, 138 in Bethlehem, 34 in Jerusalem Suburbs, seven in Jericho, and 726 in the Gaza strip.

Jerusalem recorded 393 new cases in the past 72 hours, said the ministry.

A total of 69 patients are currently getting treatment in intensive care, among them 18 on respirators.
Of the total cases recorded since the outbreak of the pandemic in Palestine in March, 76.4 percent have recovered, 22.8 percent are still active and 0.8 percent have died.

Source: https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/122280.

 

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557 new coronavirus cases, 9 deaths reported in Oman

Muscat: The Ministry of Health has registered 557 new coronavirus cases and 9 deaths in Oman.

The total cases in the country have now touched 124,886 including 116,354 recoveries and 1444 deaths, according to MOH.

In the past 72 hours, 488 recoveries were reported.

The ministry urged everyone to adhere to social distancing instructions issued by the Supreme Committee and the MOH.

Source: https://timesofoman.com/article/557-new-coronavirus-cases-9-deaths-reported-in-oman.

 

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Palestine confirms 17 deaths, 2333 new cases of coronavirus

RAMALLAH, Sunday, December 06, 2020 (WAFA) – Seventeen people have died of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, 2333 new cases were recorded in Palestine - including 393 new cases in Jerusalem in the last 72 hours - and 1758 have recovered, today said Minister of Health Mai Alkaila in her daily coronavirus report in Palestine.

She said 11 people have died of the disease in the West Bank, five in the Gaza Strip, and one in Jerusalem.

The new cases that were recorded in the West Bank in the past 24 hours were distributed as follows: 247 in Hebron, 149 in Jenin, 246 in Nablus, 102 in Tulkarem, 179 in Ramallah and al-Bireh, 37 in Salfit, 24 in Qalqilia, 51 in Tubas, 138 in Bethlehem, 34 in Jerusalem Suburbs, seven in Jericho, and 726 in the Gaza strip.

Jerusalem recorded 393 new cases in the past 72 hours, said the ministry.

A total of 69 patients are currently getting treatment in intensive care, among them 18 on respirators.
Of the total cases recorded since the outbreak of the pandemic in Palestine in March, 76.4 percent have recovered, 22.8 percent are still active and 0.8 percent have died.

Source: https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/122280.

 

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Coronavirus: UAE reports 1,148 Covid-19 cases, 579 recoveries, 2 deaths

More than 17.5 million Covid-19 tests have been carried out in the UAE so far.
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Monday reported 1,148 cases of Covid-19, along with 579 recoveries. Two deaths were also reported.

As many as new 87,635 Covid-19 tests were carried out, taking the total number of tests carried out in the country to nearly 17.5 million so far.Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, said that Dubai and the UAE have demonstrated global leadership in accelerating economic recovery while hosting Gitex Technology Week — the biggest in-person technology event amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The 40th edition of Gitex Technology Week began at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on Sunday.

Meanwhile, business and community leaders in the UAE have pledged their support to the UAE's efforts in fighting Covid-19 and said they are confident that the country will beat the pandemic and emerge stronger. Their optimism was evident in the way they were responding to a statement on Saturday by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice- President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, that the UAE will be the fastest country in the world to recover and the country's institutions have proven the ability to adapt.

Travel agents are seeing a surge in enquiries for different holiday destinations ahead of winter vacations. They are advising people to check well ahead of time before making holiday plans. Many countries have opened up borders for international tourists and the world sees an uptick in travel for countries.

Source: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/corona...s-1148-covid-19-cases-579-recoveries-2-deaths.

 

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Iran’s top banker says US blocking COVID-19 vaccine purchase

Central bank chief says US trying to prevent efforts to purchase vaccine through the WHO’s COVAX programme.

Tehran, Iran – The United States is actively trying to prevent Iran’s efforts to buy a COVID-19 vaccine through COVAX, a global initiative undertaken by the World Health Organization, according to the chief of Iran’s central bank.

Abdolnasser Hemmati on Monday said it must be “recorded in historical memory” that Iranian efforts to buy a vaccine through COVAX have been hampered due to money transfer issues arising due to the sanctions imposed by the US against Iran.

“So far, any methods to make payment and transfer the required currency have faced obstacles due to the inhumane sanctions of the US government and the need to obtain permits from OFAC,” Hemmati wrote in an Instagram post, referring to the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury.

Iran, which is dealing with the largest and deadliest COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East, announced months ago that it had become a member of COVAX in order to secure vaccines.

The WHO touts COVAX as “the world’s best hope” for tackling the pandemic in a coordinated and timely manner, and says the international initiative’s aim is to “guarantee rapid, fair and equitable access to vaccines for people in all countries”.

Iran’s official COVID-19 death toll surpassed 50,000 on Saturday as the country battles the third wave of the virus with more than a million reported cases.

Iranian health authorities say the real numbers are likely to be more than twice the official figures.

After unilaterally reneging on Iran’s 2015 nuclear accord with world powers in May 2018, US President Donald Trump has imposed waves of economic sanctions on Iran.

The Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran has since seen the blacklisting of the entire Iranian financial sector.

The sanctions, which have also targeted the Iranian central bank, have had a documented impact on Iran’s access to vital medicine in the past three years.

Iranian authorities have repeatedly said they consider the sanctions an instance of “economic and medical terrorism” against the Iranian people.

The US has refused requests by its traditional allies in Europe and human rights groups to lift the sanctions during the coronavirus pandemic.

‘US pressure and threats’
Hemmati also described how Iran’s efforts to buy a vaccine are being blocked by the US through other corridors.

According to the central bank chief, Iran’s efforts to spend its funds blocked in South Korea to pay for the vaccine have also been rejected by the US.

Iranian officials say about $7bn of the country’s reserves in South Korea, a major buyer of Iranian oil before the sanctions were imposed, remain frozen.

South Korea has failed to move them for fear of US reprisal, despite repeated Iranian calls.

Hemmati said “pressure and threats by the US” have also led the International Monetary Fund to stymie Iran’s request for a loan.

“Despite acceding to Iran’s right and existence of no economic or legal barriers, the IMF didn’t even dare raise Iran’s request for a humanitarian loan at the fund’s board of directors,” Hemmati wrote.

In March, when the first wave of the pandemic was ravaging Iran, leading to massive lockdowns, the country asked for an emergency $5bn IMF loan that was blocked by the US.

Iran ultimately resorted to tapping into its sovereign wealth fund for one billion euros ($1.21 bn) to fight the pandemic.

Hemmati said Iran is pursuing “other paths” to pay for the vaccine and is in negotiations with other countries. He added that efforts to produce a vaccine locally are “promising”.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/7/iran-says-us-blocking-covid-19-vaccine-purchase.

 

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229 new coronavirus cases, 8 deaths reported in Oman

Muscat: The Ministry of Health has registered 229 new coronavirus cases and 8 deaths in Oman.

The total cases in the country have now touched 125,115 including 116,506 recoveries and 1452 deaths, according to MOH.

In the past 24 hours, 152 recoveries were reported.

The ministry urged everyone to adhere to social distancing instructions issued by the Supreme Committee and the MOH.

Source: https://timesofoman.com/article/229-new-coronavirus-cases-8-deaths-reported-in-oman.

 

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COVID-19 in GCC: 12 die in Saudi Arabia, 3 in Kuwait, 2 in Oman

Total infections in five GCC countries rise to 857,654, total fatalities to 8,923

Dubai: The total number of COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain has climbed to 857,654 cases, and fatality tally has risen to 8,923 on Tuesday.

Kuwait
The Ministry of Health confirmed the detection of 301 new cases of coronavirus in Kuwait today, taking the total number of confirmed infections to 144,900.

According to the ministry’s latest update, three people died from the virus in the last 24 hours, bringing fatality tally to 900.

A further 297 fresh recoveries have been recorded during the past 24 hours, raising the overall tally of recoveries to 140,638. The active cases have now touched 3,362, out of which 83 are critical under intensive care.

Oman
Oman today reported 211 new cases of COVID-19, taking the total number of infections in the Sultanate to 125,325. According to the latest update by the Ministry of Health, two new fatalities were reported over the past 24 hours, taking the Sultanate’s death toll to 1,454.

Some 214 patients have fully recovered, pushing total recoveries to 116,720. The ministry urged community members to strictly adhere to social distancing protocols and precautionary measures issued by the Supreme Committee tasked with tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and the ministry.

Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health confirmed that only 193 new COVID-19 cases were registered over the past 24 hours, continuing to maintain a steady decline in the single-day infections in the Kingdom.

The ministry also reported 12 more deaths from complications caused by the virus over the past 24 hours. This brings the total number of confirmed infections in the Kingdom to 359,115 and total fatalities to 5,989.

The total number of people recovered from the virus to 349,414, as 246 people have fully recovered in the past 24 hours, with the recovery rate climbing to 97.30 per cent.

With the drastic drop in the number of daily cases and the steady rise in recoveries, active cases have significantly dropped to 3,712 during the last 24 hours, out of which 573 are critical cases.

Bahrain
The Ministry of Health announced 181 new cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, bringing the total cases in the Kingdom to 88,111.

No deaths were reported over the last 24 hours, keeping the Kingdom’s fatality tally at 341. The newly detected cases include 81 expatriate workers, 91 newly infected people after contacting active cases and 8 are travel related infections.

There were 185 new recoveries, increasing total recoveries to 86,215. The active cases have now touched 1,556, including 1,544 that are stable, 28 are still receiving treatment and 11 are critical patients under intensive care.

Qatar
The Ministry of Public Health has confirmed 117 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total cases in Qatar to 140,203.

No new deaths were reported over the past 24 hours, keeping fatality tally at 239.

According to the ministry’s latest figures, 214 patients have fully recovered, pushing the total number of people recovered from the virus across the country to 137,708. Active cases have now reached 2,256, including 251 that are still receiving treatment, and 28 are critical under intensive care.

Source: https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/cov...-arabia-3-in-kuwait-2-in-oman-1.1607438743909.

 

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Jordan opens first Covid-19 field hospital

Jordan has opened the first of three field hospitals for Covid-19 patients, northeast of the capital, as a sharp rise in cases has overburdened health facilities.

The hospital admitted its first patients on Monday, said the interim director-general of medical services in the kingdom Brigadier General Nidal Khasawneh, cited by official media.

The 300-bed hospital was erected in two weeks in the northern Zarqa province, around 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the capital Amman, at a cost of around $12 million.

Two other field hospitals for Covid-19 patients are due to open soon in the central and southern regions of the kingdom, government spokesman Ali al-Ayed has said.

The three hospitals together will have more than 1,000 beds, including 180 for intensive care.

Facing a sharp increase in cases, Jordan's private hospitals were mobilised last month to take on patients from overburdened public medical centres.

Jordan has recorded more than 244,000 cases of the novel coronavirus, including 3,116 deaths, according to official figures published on Monday.

Over 1,600 people with Covid-19 are currently in hospital in Jordan, 403 of whom are in intensive care.

"The curve of infections is stable but we are still at the heart of the battle," said Health Minister Nazir Obeidat.

In an effort to curb the spread of the virus, authorities imposed a nationwide night-time curfew from 10:00 pm (2000 GMT) to 6:00 am, with a 24 hour curfew in place on Fridays.

Education institutions remain shuttered and classes are being held online, while gatherings for weddings and funerals have been banned. Leisure areas, swimming pools and cinemas have also been closed.

Health ministry official Wael al-Hayajne expressed hope Sunday the kingdom would receive the first vaccines against Covid-19 in early 2021.

Source: https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20201208-jordan-opens-first-covid-19-field-hospital.

 

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Coronavirus: UAE reports 1,260 Covid-19 cases, 584 recoveries, 2 deaths

More than 17.5 million Covid-19 tests have been carried out in the UAE so far.
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Tuesday reported 1,260 cases of Covid-19, along with 584 recoveries. Two deaths were also reported.

As many as new 146,020 Covid-19 tests were carried out, taking the total number of tests carried out in the country to nearly 17.5 million so far.

The UAE has conducted over 17.5 million tests till date as part of the country's massive screening programmes to combat the spread of Covid-19.

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi has invited volunteers to participate in the Phase 3 clinical trials of the Russian human adenovirus-based Sputnik V vaccine under the #VaccineforVictory campaign.

Source: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/corona...s-1260-covid-19-cases-584-recoveries-2-deaths.

 

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Occupied Palestine to enter lockdown as Gaza gets Covid-19 test kits from WHO

Four West Bank cities in occupied Palestine will enter a week-long lockdown from Thursday to help curb the spread of Covid-19, the Palestinian Authority Prime Minister announced yesterday.

"The governorates of Nablus, Hebron, Bethlehem and Tulkarem will be completely closed from the evening of Thursday, 10 December for a period of seven days," explained Mohammad Shtayyeh. All shops will be closed except for pharmacies and grocery stores and travel will be prohibited between all eleven West Bank cities.

The move comes after a weekend and evening curfew was imposed across the occupied West Bank in late November to fight a "worrying spread" of the virus.

Around 40,000 Palestinians are currently in quarantine, and 55 West Bank schools have already been closed following an increase in the number of coronavirus infections among students and teachers, added Shtayyeh.

According to Health Minister Mai Al-Kaila, 19 people have died of coronavirus in Palestine in the past 24 hours, with 1,595 new cases recorded in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. There are currently 76 coronavirus patients hospitalised and in a serious condition; 18 are on ventilators.

Meanwhile, almost 20,000 coronavirus test kits have been sent to the Gaza Strip by the World Health Organisation (WHO) today. The health ministry called yesterday for urgent action "to provide the necessary equipment" to screen the population for Covid-19.

In the besieged territory, nearly 25,600 infections have been registered officially, with 150 deaths. The health authorities are warning that the medical sector in Gaza — where nearly 75 per cent of the two million Palestinian residents are refugees – is struggling to contain the pandemic. Supplies of essential drugs and medicines, as well as medical disposables, are dangerously low.

Source: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/2...own-as-gaza-gets-covid-19-test-kits-from-who/.

 

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Iraq reports 2,123 new COVID-19 cases, 568,138 in total

BAGHDAD, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday 2,123 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total nationwide infections to 568,138.

The ministry reported in a statement 17 new deaths and 2,339 more recovered cases in the country, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 12,477 and the total recoveries to 498,064.

A total of 3,736,860 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February, with 31,791 done during the day, according to the ministry's statement.

Meanwhile, Riyadh Abdul-Amir, head of the ministry's Public Health Department, told the official Iraqi News Agency that Iraq is witnessing a clear improvement in the epidemiological situation, as the coronavirus infections have decreased.

"The ratio of the positive cases to the daily COVID-19 tests decreased to six percent, and daily deaths decreased from more than 60 to fewer than 30 in recent days," Abdul-Amir said.

The ministry also increased testing capacity to more than 30,000 per day after establishing more than 60 laboratories for COVID-19 tests, the statement noted.

Iraq has taken a series of measures to contain the pandemic since February when the first coronavirus case appeared in the country.

China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad.

Since March 7, China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq.

Source: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-12/09/c_139574058.htm.

 

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Daily coronavirus report in Palestine: 23 dead, 1883 new cases, and 1636 recoveries

RAMALLAH, Wednesday, December 9, 2020 (WAFA) – Twenty-three people have died of coronavirus in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours, 1883 new cases were recorded, and 1636 patients have recovered, today said Minister of Health Mai Alkaila. No data was available from East Jerusalem.

She said in her daily report on coronavirus in Palestine that 16 of the deaths were in the West Bank and seven in the Gaza Strip.

She said that 1244 new cases were recorded in the West Bank, including 215 in Hebron district, 261 in Nablus, 128 in Jenin, 108 in Tulkarm, 208 in Ramallah, and 131 in Bethlehem district. A total of 1119 have recovered in the West Bank.

The Gaza Strip recorded 639 new cases and 517 recoveries.

According to the Health Minister 84 patients are in intensive care, among them 25 on respirators.

Source: https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/122323.

 

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Over 765,000 Patients Recover from COVID-19 in Iran

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – More than 765,000 coronavirus positive cases have recovered from the infectious disease in Iran so far, the Health Ministry said Wednesday.
Speaking at a daily press conference, Health Ministry Spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari put the death toll from the coronavirus in Iran at 51,212, saying the disease has taken the lives of 295 patients over the past 24 hours.

She also noted that at least 765,639 patients have recovered from the coronavirus infection so far or have been discharged from hospitals across the country.

The number of people tested positive for COVID-19 infection in Iran has surpassed 1,072,000 following the detection of 10,223 new cases since Tuesday noon, the spokeswoman added.

Among those undergoing treatment in medical centers at present, 5,779 patients have critical health conditions because of more severe infection, Lari noted.

She went on to say that more than 6,523,000 coronavirus diagnostic tests have been carried out in Iran so far.

The number of people infected with COVID-19 across the world has surpassed 68 million and the death toll has exceeded 1.56 million.

Source: https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/...65-000-patients-recover-from-covid-19-in-iran.

 

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Iraq reports 1,735 new COVID-19 cases, 569,873 in total

BAGHDAD, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Ministry of Health reported on Wednesday 1,735 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total nationwide infections to 569,873.

The ministry also reported 24 new deaths and 1,782 more recovered cases in the country, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 12,501 and the total recoveries to 499,846.

A total of 3,769,232 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February, with 32,372 done during the day, according to the ministry's statement.

Earlier, the Health Ministry attributed the increase of COVID-19 infections to the public's failure to comply with health instructions and to a stronger testing capacity with the increase of labs in Baghdad and other provinces.

Iraq has taken a series of measures to contain the pandemic since February when the first coronavirus case appeared in the country.

China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad.

Since March 7, China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq.

Source: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-12/10/c_139576937.htm.

 

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COVID-19 in GCC: 13 die in Saudi Arabia, 7 in Oman, 5 in Kuwait

Total infections in GCC countries rise to 858,614, total fatalities to 8,951

Dubai: The total number of COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain has climbed to 858,614 cases, while fatality tally has risen to 8,951, on Wednesday.

Kuwait
The Ministry of Health confirmed the detection of 304 new cases of coronavirus have in Kuwait today, taking the total number of confirmed infections to 145,204.

According to the ministry’s latest update, five people have died from the virus in the last 24 hours, bringing fatality tally to 905.

A further 351 fresh recoveries have been recorded during the past 24 hours, raising the overall tally of recoveries to 140,989. The active cases have now touched 3,310, out of which 79 are critical under intensive care.

Bahrain
The Ministry of Health announced 183 new cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, bringing the total cases in the Kingdom to 88,293.

Two more deaths were reported over the last 24 hours, taking the Kingdom’s fatality tally to 343. The newly detected cases include 98 expatriate workers, 71 newly infected people after contacting active cases and 14 travel-related infection cases. There were 133 recoveries, increasing total recoveries to 86,348. The active cases have now touched 1,603, including 1,593 that are stable, 23 who are still receiving treatment and 10 who are critical patients under intensive care.

Oman
The Sultanate today reported 164 new cases of COVID-19, taking the total number of infections in the country to 125,490. According to the latest update by the Ministry of Health, seven new fatalities were reported over the past 24 hours, taking the death toll at 1,461.

Some 314 patients have fully recovered, pushing total recoveries to 117,034. The ministry urged community members to strictly adhere to social distancing protocols and precautionary measures issued by the Supreme Committee tasked with tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and the ministry.

Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health recorded on Wednesday 159 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, marking the lowest single-day infections in many months following the outbreak of the pandemic in the Kingdom.

The Kingdom reported less than 200 single-day coronavirus cases for the fourth time over the five days. Thirteen more deaths were also reported over the past 24 hours. This brings the total number of confirmed infections in the Kingdom to 359,274 and deaths to 6,002.

A further 210 new recoveries were registered over the past 24 hours, raising the total number of people recovered from the virus to 349,624, with the recovery rate rising to 97.31 per cent.

The active cases also dropped to 3,648 out of which 550 are critical cases.

Qatar
The Ministry of Public Health has confirmed 150 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total cases in Qatar to 140,253.

One fatality was reported over the past 24 hours, taking fatality tally to 240.

According to the ministry’s latest figures, a further 173 patients have fully recovered, pushing the total number of people recovered from the virus across the country to 137,881. Active cases have dropped to 2,232, including 261 that are still receiving treatment, and 27 are critical under intensive care.

Source: https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/sau...saudi-arabia-7-in-oman-5-in-kuwait-1.75774502.

 

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Virus deaths continue to rise in Palestine

Palestinian Health Ministry records 24 deaths, 2,181 new cases over past 24 hours

RAMALLAH

The Palestinian Health Ministry on Thursday confirmed 24 deaths and 2,181 cases of the novel coronavirus over the past 24 hours.

According to the ministry, the West Bank recorded 17 deaths and 1,595 cases, while Gaza Strip recorded seven deaths and 586 cases.

The current figures take the COVID-19 death toll in the country to 1,008 and raise infections to 119,414, including 91,898 recoveries.

The pandemic has claimed over 1.57 million lives in 191 countries and regions since last December.

Over 69.02 million cases have been reported worldwide, with more than 44.51 million recoveries, according to figures compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins University.

Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/latest-on-...-deaths-continue-to-rise-in-palestine/2072513.

 

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Oman exempts 103 nations, including India, from mandatory entry visa requirement

Oman has announced a list of 103 nations, including India, the nationals of which will no longer need entry visas. Such visits will be allowed for up to 10 days’ stay to travellers from 103 nations in order to encourage tourism and revive its economical state.

As per a tweet shared by Royal Oman Police, all travellers must furnish documents of confirmed hotel reservation, return ticket and health insurance in order to get the entry visa for the Sultanate of Oman.
Oman had suspended tourist entry visas due to the Coronavirus pandemic. However, the country would now begin granting tourist visas to those planning to visit on trips arranged by hotels and travel firms.

Oman had restarted international flight operations on October 1, albeit for citizens and people having valid existing residency and work visas.

The European countries exempt from the 10-day entry visa are Portugal, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Romania, Slovenia, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Cyprus, Ukraine, Andorra, Italy, Bulgaria, San Marino, Switzerland, Croatia, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Hungary, Serbia, Georgia, Estonia, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Spain, Czech Republic, Vatican, Austria, Ireland, Britain, Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania, France, Latvia, Moldova and Netherlands.

For South America, travellers from Ecuador, Paraguay, Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, Uruguay, Sirnam, Argentina, Brazil and Chile are exempt from visa for entering Oman for a duration of 10 days. In the Arab world, countries like Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Algeria and Mauritania are added in the list.

And finally, Asian countries included in the list are India, Armenia, Panama, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkmenistan, Honduras, Guatemala, Iran, Ghana, French Australia Indonesia, Taiwan, Canada, Malaysia, Macau Island, Singapore, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Thailand, South Africa, Lebanon, Hong Kong, Russia, People’s Republic of China, Seychelles, USA, Brunei Darussalam, Turkey, Korea, South New Zealand, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Laos, Albania, Bhutan, Peru, Maldives, Salvador, Vietnam, Cuba, and Mexico.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...ndatory-entry-visa-requirement/as79663801.cms.

 

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Coronavirus: UAE reports 1,255 Covid-19 cases, 657 recoveries, 4 deaths

More than 17.7 million Covid-19 tests have been carried out in the UAE so far.
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Wednesday reported 1,255 cases of Covid-19, along with 657 recoveries. Four deaths were also reported.

As many as new 156,425 Covid-19 tests were carried out, taking the total number of tests carried out in the country to nearly 17.7 million so far.

After the UAE announced the mass use of Sinopharm’s Covid-19 vaccine, healthcare workers across the country welcomed the decision. The vaccine is available on a voluntary basis to anyone booking an appointment with Seha, however, details of nationwide inoculation are yet to be announced.

Saluting the hard work and perseverance of the UAE authorities, medics have expressed their trust in the efforts of the government that they say has left no stone unturned in bringing normalcy back to life.

Meanwhile, Britain, which started a mass vaccination drive on Tuesday, issued a warning that anyone with a history of anaphylaxis to a medicine or food should not get the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Starting with the elderly and frontline workers, Britain began vaccinating its population on Tuesday. Anaphylaxis is an overreaction of the body’s immune system, which the National Health Service describes as severe and sometimes life-threatening.

Source: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/corona...s-1255-covid-19-cases-657-recoveries-4-deaths.

 

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Saudi Arabia approves Pfizer-BioNTech virus vaccine

Health authorities in the kingdom can import and use the vaccine.
Saudi Arabia on Thursday approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech novel coronavirus vaccine, state media reported, becoming the second Gulf country after Bahrain to green-light the drug.

“The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA)... has approved the registration of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” it said in a statement released by the official Saudi Press Agency.

“Health authorities in the kingdom can import and use the vaccine,” it added.

The SFDA did not specify when it would begin the rollout of the vaccine by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.

Last week, Bahrain announced it had approved the emergency use of the same vaccine.

Britain and Canada have also approved it.

American regulators are due to meet on Thursday to assess the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency approval in the United States, the worst-hit nation with more than 15 million known infections and close to 290,000 deaths.

The US Food and Drug Administration is likely to issue an allergy warning if it approves the vaccine, following Britain’s lead, after two health care workers there suffered reactions and needed treatment.

The SFDA said it will analyse samples from “each incoming vaccine shipment before using it” to ensure quality standards.

Saudi Arabia has so far recorded nearly 360,000 novel coronavirus cases, including more than 6,000 deaths — the highest in the Gulf. But the kingdom has also reported a high recovery rate.

Companies have been racing to find a vaccine for the virus, which has killed over 1.5 million people and infected more than 68 million since it emerged in China in December of last year.

Source: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/corona...arabia-approves-pfizer-biontech-virus-vaccine.

 

[sweep_shot]

Palestine records 1,743 new Covid-19 cases, 21 fatalities
RAMALLAH, Friday, December 11, 2020 (WAFA) – Palestine today recorded 1,743 new Covid-19 cases and 21 fatalities, according to Health Minister Mai al-Kaileh.

She announced that 1,743 Palestinians contracted the highly contagious virus and 21 other died of it in the occupied territories.

Among the 1,743 new cases, 182 cases were recorded in Hebron governorate, 203 in Jenin, 208 in Nablus, 115 in Tulkarm, 152 in Ramallah and al-Bireh, 38 in Salfit, 35 in Qalqilia, 38 in Tubas, 104 in Bethlehem, 32 in Jerusalem suburbs, 19 in Jericho & the Jordan Valley besides to 617 in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Al-Kaileh identified the 21 new fatalities as 15 fatalities from the West Bank and six others from the Gaza Strip. The West Bank fatalities were identified as five from Bethlehem, another from Salfit, two from Jerusalem suburbs, three from Nablus, two from Ramallah & al-Bireh besides to two others from Jenin.

She confirmed the recovery of 2,451 Covid-19 patients as 81 others are still receiving treatment in the intensive care units, including 23 who are connected to respirators.

According to the latest coronavirus data, the confirmed cases in the occupied territories (West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza) reached 121,157.

Out of the 121,157 cases, 79,188 are recorded in the West Bank, 27,434 in the Gaza Strip and 14,535 in East Jerusalem.

Recoveries have totaled 94,349, and the death toll reached 1,029, leaving a total of 25,779 active cases.

Recoveries account for 77.9 percent of the total cases, active cases for 21.3 percent and the fatalities for 0.8 since the pandemic outbreak in March.

Source: https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/122403.

 

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Iran reports 9,594 new COVID-19 cases, 1,092,617 in total

TEHRAN, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iran reported on Friday 9,594 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, raising the total count in the country to 1,092,617.

It is the first time since Nov. 9 that Iran's announced number of daily COVID-19 cases is below 10,000.

Of the newly infected, 1,408 had to be hospitalized, said Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman of Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, at her daily briefing.

The pandemic has so far claimed 51,728 lives in Iran, after 232 new deaths related to coronavirus were registered between Thursday and Friday, according to Lari.

In addition, 787,853 COVID-19 patients have recovered or been released from hospitals, with 5,760 still in critical condition, she noted.

The total number of laboratory tests for COVID-19 carried out in Iran is 6,611,783, the spokeswoman said.

The risk of infection is high in 34 Iranian counties on red alert, while 260 counties are orange-flagged, and 154 others yellow.

Iran announced its first cases of COVID-19 on Feb. 19.

Restrictions imposed since the third week of November seem to have contained a steep surge of the pandemic in the country after daily deaths approached the 500 threshold.

Source: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-12/11/c_139582503.htm.

 

[sweep_shot]

COVID-19: UAE reports 5 deaths, 1,196 new coronavirus cases

The latest coronavirus update was announced on Friday

Abu Dhabi: The UAE reported 1,196 new cases of COVID-19, taking the total number of diagnosed cases to 182,601, the Ministry of Health and Prevention has announced.

UAE has also registered 5 deaths in the past 24 hours. With this total number of deaths due to COVID-19 has risen to 607 in the UAE.

The UAE has conducted 163,352 tests in the last 24 hours.

694 patients have recovered today, pushing the total numer of recoveries to 162,435.

The number of active cases in the country at present is 19,559.

Source: https://gulfnews.com/uae/health/cov...hs-1196-new-coronavirus-cases-1.1607673606374.

 

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Jordan ranks 38 globally in number of coronavirus cases and deaths

Jordan ranked 38th globally and fourth in the Arab world in terms of COVID-19 cases and deaths, according to Worldometers Friday.

The Kingdom recorded 44 deaths and 2,902 new COVID-19 cases Thursday. The number of coronavirus deaths in Jordan now totals 3,250.

Since the beginning of the crisis, Jordan has a total of 253,121 confirmed cases, including 43,233 active cases.

A total of 206,638 people recovered from the virus in Jordan.

Source: https://en.royanews.tv/news/24066/Jordan-ranks-38-globally-in-number-of-coronavirus-cases-and-deaths.

 

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Iraq reports 1,347 new COVID-19 cases, lowest since mid-June

BAGHDAD, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry reported on Friday 1,347 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total nationwide infections to 572,600.

It is the lowest daily increase in the country's coronavirus infections since mid-June as the ministry recorded single-day cases between 2,000 and 5,000 during the period.

The ministry also reported 23 new deaths and 1,930 more recovered cases in the country, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 12,549 and the total recoveries to 503,897.

A total of 3,837,024 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February, with 33,350 done during the day, the ministry said in a statement.

Iraq has taken a series of measures to contain the pandemic since February when the first coronavirus case appeared in the country.

China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad.

Since March 7, China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq.

Source: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-12/12/c_139582852.htm.

 

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Palestine records 33 deaths and 1,845 new COVID-19 cases

Palestine recorded 33 deaths and new 1,845 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, announced the Palestinian Minister of Health Mai al-Kaila Saturday.

The new deaths involved 17 in the West Bank (three in Ramallah and Al-Bireh; two in Nablus; four in Jenin; two in Bethlehem, three in Tulkarem; one in the suburbs of Jerusalem and two in Hebron), 13 in Gaza Strip and three in Jerusalem city.

The recovery rate in Palestine stands at 78.5 percent, while the active case rate is 20.7 percent and the death rate is 0.8 percent.

The new coronavirus cases include 134 in Hebron; 263 in Jenin; 165 in Nablus; 56 in Tulkarem; 144 in Ramallah and Al-Bireh; 43 in Salfit; 23 in Qalqilya; 33 in Tubas; 45 in Bethlehem; six in Jericho and Al-Aghwar; 60 in the suburbs of Jerusalem; 505 in Gaza Strip and 368 in Jerusalem city.

A total of 2,182 recovery cases were recorded including 243 in Hebron; 123 in Jenin; 42 in Nablus; 93 in Tulkarem; 217 in Bethlehem; 55 in Salfit; 47 in Tubas; 90 in Ramallah and Al-Bireh; 14 in Jericho and Al-Aghwar; 315 in the suburbs of Jerisalem; 718 in Gaza Strip and 225 in Jerusalem city.

Currently, 83 people are in the Intensive Care Unit and 26 are on ventilators.

A total of 4,469 PCR tests were taken Saturday.

Source: https://en.royanews.tv/news/24084/Palestine-records-33-deaths-and-1-845-new-COVID-19-cases.

 

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Iraq reports 1,022 new COVID-19 cases, lowest since mid-June

BAGHDAD, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry reported on Saturday 1,022 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total nationwide infections to 573,622.

It is the lowest daily increase in the country's coronavirus infections since mid-June, as the ministry recorded single-day cases between 2,000 and 5,000 during the period.

According to a statement issued by the ministry, the rate of Saturday's infection with coronavirus was three percent of the total tests in the day, after it had reached 24 percent in the past months.

The ministry also reported 16 new deaths and 1,772 more recovered cases in the country, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 12,565 and the total recoveries to 505,669.

A total of 3,867,170 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February, with 30,146 done during the day, the ministry statement added.

Iraq has taken a series of measures to contain the pandemic since February when the first coronavirus case appeared in the country.

China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad.

Since March 7, China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq.

Source: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-12/12/c_139584801.htm.

 

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Iran to start testing ‘homegrown’ COVID-19 vaccine next week

“We will produce the best and safest vaccine in the country,” said Mohammad Mokhber, head of the Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam, which is implementing a plan to produce a domestically-developed vaccine.

The human trial is tested in three stages: in the first stage, 56 people of different genders and ages are injected, and after 28 days and the results of the study are determined, the second stage begins with the injection in 500 people, and after 28 days, the third phase begins with mass production, he explained.

Iranian vaccination by Sept. 2021

Mostafa Ghane'ei, an official with the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, said that the domestically produced COVID-19 vaccine will probably be injected into the whole population by September 23, 2021.

Emphasizing that no Iranian vaccine has been yet allowed to enter the human phase so far, he said that “progress is made when the Food and Drug Administration issues a vaccine clinical work permit.”

All vaccines are in the pre-clinical stage and it is hoped that at least 4 vaccines to start phase 3 of the human trial in September 2021, he highlighted.

Now that coronavirus vaccines have been developed in the world and the third phase of clinical trials has passed, the possible side effects are almost certain, and Iran will be aware of the side effects which speeds up the process, he noted, adding, “vaccines produced in Iran are the same as those produced in China, India, the United States, etc.”

Iraj Harirchi, the deputy minister of health, has said that in Iran, 12 groups are making efforts to develop coronavirus vaccine, three of which have passed the animal testing.

Two weeks ago, Namaki expressed hope that the country will introduce the home-grown COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 19, 2021).

COVID-19 toll, new cases

In a press briefing on Friday, Health Ministry spokesperson Sima-Sadat Lari confirmed 8,201 new cases of COVID-19 infection, raising the total number of infections to 1,100,818. She added that 800,853 patients have so far recovered, but 5,739 still remain in critical conditions of the disease.

During the past 24 hours, 221 patients have lost their lives, bringing the total number of deaths to 51,949, she added.

Lari noted that currently, 12 cities are in high-risk “red” zones, 231 in orange and 205 in yellow.

Source: https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/455676/Iran-to-start-testing-homegrown-COVID-19-vaccine-next-week.

 

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Jordan records 49 deaths and 1,816 new coronavirus cases

Jordan has recorded 49 deaths and 1,816 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, bringing the total number of cases since the beginning of the crisis to 257,275.

The death toll has risen to 3,335.

The cases are:

- 465 in Amman

- 599 in Irbid, including six in Ramtha

- 222 in Mafraq

- 101 in Ajloun

- 64 in Karak

- 46 in Tafilah

- Five in Madaba

- 122 in Jerash

- 99 in Balqa

- 47 in Zarqa

- 45 in Aqaba

- One in Ma'an

A total of 112 cases have been admitted to the hospitals, and 83 have been discharged upon recovery.

There are a total of 40,596 active COVID-19 cases.

A total of 3,598 recoveries have been recorded from hospitals and home quarantine, bringing the total amount of recoveries since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis to 213,344.

There are 1,178 patients receiving treatment in hospitals.

A total of 13,268 PCR tests have been conducted, bringing the total number of tests conducted since the beginning of the crisis to 2,810,294.

Saturday, 13.69 percent of PCR tests have come back positive.

Source: https://en.royanews.tv/news/24093/Jordan-records-49-deaths-and-1-816-new-coronavirus-cases.

 

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Coronavirus: UAE reports 1,154 Covid-19 cases, 613 recoveries

UAE has conducted over 18 million tests so far.
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Saturday reported 1,154 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 613 recoveries.

Two deaths were also reported in the country as a result of the illness, bringing the total number of deaths to 609.

There are currently 20,098 active Covid-19 cases in the UAE.

As many as 156,513 new Covid-19 tests were carried out, taking the total number of tests carried out in the country to nearly 18.1 million so far.

Healthcare workers across the country heaved a sigh of relief as the UAE announced the mass use of Sinopharm’s Covid vaccine, saying it was 86 per cent effective. The country had vaccinated over 31,000 volunteers as part of its phase III trial of Sinopharm’s inactivated vaccine for Covid-19 that began in July this year.

It is now available in all clinics run by Abu Dhabi’s public health regulator Seha, private medical facilities run by VPS Healthcare and NMC Hospital. In Dubai, residents can get the shot at Dubai Parks and Resorts field hospital. In Sharjah, it is available at Wasit Medical Centre from 4pm to 9pm. In Ajman, people can go to Al Humaidiya Centre from 9am to 12.30pm and from 5pm to 8.30pm. In Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah, it is available at the Al Bait Metwahid Centre and Murashied Medical Centre respectively.

Meanwhile, researchers at Khalifa University and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi are developing a model to identify the airborne behaviour of the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

They will be using nanoparticles to simulate the virus transmission in the healthcare environment. The research will contribute to a safer hospital environment and lower transmission rates, while assessing the effectiveness of masks and other personal protective equipment (PPEs).

Dr Ammar Nayfeh, associate professor at Khalifa University, who is leading the research team, said they are using nanoparticles to understand how the SARS CoV-2 virus travels and stays in the air.

Source: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/corona...ae-reports-1154-covid-19-cases-613-recoveries.

 

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Daily coronavirus report in Palestine: Daily death toll highest since start of the pandemic

RAMALLAH, Saturday, December 12, 2020 /WAFA/ – Palestine today recorded the highest number of daily deaths due to the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic in March, according to Minister of Health Mai Alkaila.

She said in her daily coronavirus report that 33 people have died of the disease in the last 24 hours, including 17 in the West Bank, 13 in the Gaza Strip and three in East Jerusalem.

In addition, 1845 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, including 972 in the West Bank, 505 in the Gaza Strip, and 368 in East Jerusalem.

Of the West Bank cases, 263 were in the Jenin district, 165 in Nablus, 134 in Hebron, 144 in Ramallah, 56 in Tulkarm, and 45 in Bethlehem.

A total of 2182 patients have recovered, among them 1239 in the West Bank, 718 in the Gaza Strip, and 225 in East Jerusalem.

Alkaila said 83 patients are in intensive care, among them 26 who are on ventilators.

Source: https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/122416.

 

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BAGHDAD, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry reported on Sunday 1,012 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total nationwide infections to 574,634.

It is the lowest daily increase in Iraq since mid-June, as the ministry recorded single-day cases between 2,000 and 5,000 during the period.

The new cases included 242 in the capital Baghdad, 238 in Kirkuk, 109 in Nineveh, and 65 in Duhok, the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also reported 14 new deaths and 1,777 more recovered cases, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 12,579 and the total recoveries to 507,446.

A total of 3,898,480 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February, with 31,310 done during the day, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Minister of Health Hassan al-Tamimi met with senior ministry officials over his meeting on Saturday in Egypt with Egyptian and Jordanian officials, the ministry said in a separate statement.

Al-Tamimi said his meeting in Egypt covered enhancing joint health cooperation, as well as exchanging medical expertise, medical teams, and treatment protocols used in combating the coronavirus pandemic.

Iraq has taken a series of measures to contain the pandemic since February when the first coronavirus case appeared in the country.

China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad.

Since March 7, China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq.

Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/wor...ports-1012-new-covid-19-cases-574634-in-total.

 

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Iran Says Economy Grew During Pandemic on Industry, Farming

(Bloomberg) --

Iran’s economy grew 1.3% in the six months to mid-September compared with the same period last year, despite an ongoing struggle with the Middle East’s worst coronavirus outbreak and crippling U.S. sanctions.

Abdolnaser Hemmati, head of the Central Bank of Iran, attributed the recovery to a boost in manufacturing and agriculture, plus improved cash flow at the country’s banks. Non-oil gross domestic product grew 1.4% from a year earlier, Hemmati said in a statement posted on Instagram on Sunday.

It’s unclear whether the calculation accounts for inflation, which soared more than 30 percentage points to 41% in 2019, according to the International Monetary Fund. The period under review coincides with the first half of the Iranian calendar year, which started on March 21.

Coronavirus policy may also have been a factor. Ill-equipped to effectively manage or control its virus outbreak, Iran eased its first lockdown in the first week of April, well ahead of most other countries, in an effort to keep its economy afloat.

Iran Gambles on Getting Back to Work With Virus Undefeated (1)

The Islamic Republic has tried to develop its domestic manufacturing base and services sector as part of a broader national policy of building a “resistance economy” that is less dependent on oil and better-shielded from U.S. sanctions imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The policy also includes a drive to increase non-oil exports to regional neighbors after Trump’s campaign to crush the Iranian economy sent the value of the rial plummeting and caused output to contract 6.5% in 2019.

In October the IMF forecast that Iran’s real economy would shrink by 5% by the end of 2020, making it the second-best performing oil exporter in the Middle East after Qatar. The lender also predicted that of the region’s oil-exporting countries, Iran and Algeria would make the strongest recovery, both growing 3.2% in 2021.

Earlier on Sunday, Iran set out ambitions to raise oil production next year, assuming Joe Biden will loosen U.S. sanctions after he becomes president.

Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh told lawmakers on Saturday that Iran planned to export 2.3 million barrels a day from March 2021, compared to just 133,000 according to the latest data compiled by Bloomberg. Almost all of Iran’s shipments go to China.

Iran’s oil revenue, once its single-largest source of foreign currency, has nose-dived since Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed sanctions.

Biden has said he wants to bring the U.S. back into the accord and lift penalties if the Islamic Republic also returns to full compliance with the agreement.

Source: https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/iran-says-economy-grew-during-pandemic-on-industry-farming-1.1535932.

 

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Coronavirus: UAE reports 1,194 Covid-19 cases, 631 recoveries, 8 deaths

UAE has conducted nearly 18.2 million tests.
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Sunday reported 1,194 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 631 recoveries.

Eight deaths were also reported in the country as a result of the illness, which brings the total number of deaths to 617.

There are 20,653 active cases in the country.

As many as 143,781 new Covid-19 tests were carried out on people in UAE.

Healthcare workers across the country heaved a sigh of relief as the UAE announced the mass use of Sinopharm’s Covid vaccine, saying it was 86 per cent effective. The country had vaccinated over 31,000 volunteers as part of its phase III trial of Sinopharm’s inactivated vaccine for Covid-19 that began in July this year.

It is now available in all clinics run by Abu Dhabi’s public health regulator Seha, private medical facilities run by VPS Healthcare and NMC Hospital. In Dubai, residents can get the shot at Dubai Parks and Resorts field hospital. In Sharjah, it is available at Wasit Medical Centre from 4pm to 9pm. In Ajman, people can go to Al Humaidiya Centre from 9am to 12.30pm and from 5pm to 8.30pm. In Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah, it is available at the Al Bait Metwahid Centre and Murashied Medical Centre respectively.

Meanwhile, researchers at Khalifa University and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi are developing a model to identify the airborne behaviour of the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

They will be using nanoparticles to simulate the virus transmission in the healthcare environment. The research will contribute to a safer hospital environment and lower transmission rates, while assessing the effectiveness of masks and other personal protective equipment (PPEs).

Dr Ammar Nayfeh, associate professor at Khalifa University, who is leading the research team, said they are using nanoparticles to understand how the SARS CoV-2 virus travels and stays in the air.

Source: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/corona...s-1194-covid-19-cases-631-recoveries-8-deaths.

 

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30 COVID deaths, 2,339 infections recorded Sunday

AMMAN — Thirty COVID-19 deaths and 2,339 virus cases were recorded in the Kingdom on Sunday, increasing the caseload to 259,614, the government announced.

The new fatalities took the Kingdom’s coronavirus death toll to 3,365, according to a joint statement issued by the Prime Ministry and the Ministry of Health.

The cases comprised 910 infections in Amman, 579 in Irbid, including 46 in Ramtha district, 249 in Balqa, 160 in Karak, 132 in Zarqa, 115 in Aqaba, 64 in Tafileh, 59 in Madaba, 36 in Ajloun, 16 in Maan, including 11 in Petra district, 13 in Jerash and six in Mafraq.

The statement added that there are currently 37,782 active COVID-19 cases in Jordan.

A total of 112 COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospitals on Sunday, taking the number of patients currently receiving care for COVID-19 in hospitals to 1206, the statement said, adding that 83 recovered patients left hospitals.

The statement revealed that the number of isolation beds occupied by COVID-19 patients in hospitals on Sunday totalled 961, registering an occupancy rate of 23 per cent, while a total of 325 ICU beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients, at a rate of 36 per cent.

A total of 162 ventilators were used for treating COVID-19 patients, at an occupancy rate of 19 per cent.

The statement added that 5,123 recoveries were registered in hospitals and home quarantine on Sunday, bringing the total number of recoveries to 218,467.

A total of 18,712 virus tests were also conducted on Sunday, bringing the cumulative number of coronavirus tests administered since the outbreak of the pandemic to 2,829,006, with the share of tests returning a positive result, known as positive rate, standing at 12.5 per cent, the statement added.

The Ministry of Health has renewed its call on the public to abide by defence orders, as well as to adhere to precautionary measures, mainly wearing face masks and avoiding holding gatherings that exceed 20 people, according to the statement.

The ministry also called on the public to follow its “I Protect Them” awareness campaign, which aims to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through increasing public commitment to preventive measures to protect individuals and their beloved ones.

Source: http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/30-covid-deaths-2339-infections-recorded-sunday.

 

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Daily coronavirus report in Palestine: 28 dead, 1564 new cases, and 2145 recoveries

RAMALLAH, Monday, December 14, 2020 (WAFA) – Twenty-eight Palestinians have died of coronavirus in Palestine in the last 24 hours, 1564 new cases were recorded, and 2145 patients have recovered, today said Minister of Health Mai Alkaila in her daily report on coronavirus in Palestine.

She said 14 people died in the West Bank, eight in the Gaza Strip, and in East Jerusalem six have died over two days.

The West Bank recorded 1207 new cases, including 201 in Hebron district, 131 in Jenin, 239 in Nablus, 70 in Tulkarm, 224 in Ramallah, 101 in Bethlehem, and 117 in Jerusalem district villages.

In addition, 1207 patients have recovered.

The Gaza Strip had 157 new cases and 740 recoveries, while East Jerusalem had 200 new cases and 198 recoveries over two days.

Alkaila said 95 patients are getting treatment in intensive care, including 30 people are on ventilators.

Source: https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/122438.

 

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Coronavirus: UAE reports 1,092 Covid-19 cases, 670 recoveries, 1 death

More than 18.5 million Covid-19 tests have been carried out in the UAE so far.

The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Monday reported 1,092 cases of Covid-19, along with 670 recoveries. One death was also reported.

As many as new 98,562 Covid-19 tests were carried out, taking the total number of tests carried out in the country to nearly 18.5 million so far.

Meanwhile, with more private hospitals joining the vaccination drive against Covid-19 in the UAE on Sunday, residents heaved a sigh of relief and hope. In Abu Dhabi, a total of 34 private hospitals from VPS Healthcare and NMC groups are offering vaccines.

More than 71.15 million people have been reported to be infected by coronavirus globally and deaths have crossed 1.6 million. With 298,101 deaths and over 16.1 million confirmed cases, the US tops the list of 20 countries with the highest recorded infections and deaths in the world.

The US began shipping vaccine nationwide as it launched a massive immunisation effort on Sunday, while in Germany an explosion of cases forced a return to partial lockdown.

Delivery trucks with special refrigeration equipment rolled out of a facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan, as part of a public-private plan to ship millions of doses of the newly approved Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine to vulnerable Americans.

As the mobilisation unfolds, an initial 2.9 million doses are to be delivered by Wednesday, with officials saying 20 million Americans could receive the two-shot regimen by year end, and 100 million by March.

Source: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/corona...ts-1092-covid-19-cases-670-recoveries-1-death.

 

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25% of Jordan's population contracted coronavirus, says official

A quarter of Jordan's population has been infected with the novel coronavirus, a health official announced on Saturday.

The member of Jordan's National Committee for Epidemics, Bassam Hijjawi, told Al-Mamlaka that the infection rate ranged "between 20 to 25 per cent of the country's total population."

Jordan's infection rates have increased in recent months, with the kingdom recording over 5,000 new infections and 50 fatalities every day.

"Jordan has passed the peak stage of infections and there has been a notable decrease in the number of daily infections," Hijjawi pointed out, adding that the decline had come following "citizens' adherence to the government imposed precautionary measures."

He said that the number of coronavirus fatalities had declined by "half during the past weeks," noting that the government would "review the measures in place to plan ahead for the next year."

The head of the kingdom's Epidemiological Assessment Committee,Saad Al Kharabsheh, told Hayat FM recently that the first batch of a vaccine for the virus would arrive "in January or February".

"Some 200,000 vaccine doses will arrive in Jordan as a first batch during the first quarter of next year," Al Kharabsheh pointed out, adding that the vaccines would be "sufficient for 100,000 people." He also explained that the batch would be allocated to the "elderly, health workers and those with chronic diseases."

There are currently a total of 259,614 infected people in Jordan, 3,365 have died, and 218,467 others have recovered, according to the US' Worldometers.

Source: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/2...ulation-contracted-coronavirus-says-official/.

 

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Iran registers over 7,500 new virus cases, 251 deaths

Nationwide death toll exceeds 52,400, while tally of virus cases over 1.11 million

ANKARA

Iran confirmed 251 more coronavirus-related fatalities on Monday, raising the nationwide death toll to 52,447, according to the country's Health Ministry.

Some 7,501 more people tested positive for the virus over the past 24 hours, pushing the tally up to 1,115,770, ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said.

She said that a total of 823,231 patients have recovered so far, while 5,711 remain in critical condition.

Iran's 12 districts have been classified as red zones with a high risk of coronavirus transmission, while 288 have been designated as “orange zone” and 148 as “yellow zone”, Lari added.

Lari stated that Iranian Health Ministry is negotiating with China, Russia and India to purchase COVID-19 vaccines, adding that the biggest obstacle to the purchases is the ongoing US sanctions against the country.

Some four companies in the country continue their work to develop a national corOnavirus vaccine, Lari said.

Clinical tests of one of the vaccines developed by an Iranian company will begin next month, she added.

On Nov. 27, coronavirus restrictions were tightened in the country with government offices asked to operate with essential staff only.

Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/latest-on-...over-7-500-new-virus-cases-251-deaths/2076162.

 

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264 new coronavirus cases, 1 death reported in Oman

Muscat: The Ministry of Health has registered 264 new coronavirus cases and 1 death in Oman.

The total cases in the country have now touched 126,504 including 118287 recoveries and 1472 deaths, according to MOH.

In the past 24 hours, 239 recoveries were reported.

The ministry urged everyone to adhere to social distancing instructions issued by the Supreme Committee and the MOH.

Source: https://timesofoman.com/article/264-new-coronavirus-cases-1-death-reported-in-oman.

 

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Daily coronavirus report in Palestine: 28 dead, 1564 new cases, and 2145 recoveries

RAMALLAH, Monday, December 14, 2020 (WAFA) – Twenty-eight Palestinians have died of coronavirus in Palestine in the last 24 hours, 1564 new cases were recorded, and 2145 patients have recovered, today said Minister of Health Mai Alkaila in her daily report on coronavirus in Palestine.

She said 14 people died in the West Bank, eight in the Gaza Strip, and in East Jerusalem six have died over two days.

The West Bank recorded 1207 new cases, including 201 in Hebron district, 131 in Jenin, 239 in Nablus, 70 in Tulkarm, 224 in Ramallah, 101 in Bethlehem, and 117 in Jerusalem district villages.

In addition, 1207 patients have recovered.

The Gaza Strip had 157 new cases and 740 recoveries, while East Jerusalem had 200 new cases and 198 recoveries over two days.

Alkaila said 95 patients are getting treatment in intensive care, including 30 people are on ventilators.

Source: https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/122438.

 

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Coronavirus: UAE reports 1,226 Covid-19 cases, 674 recoveries, 4 deaths

More than 18.6 million Covid-19 tests have been carried out in the country so far.
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Tuesday reported 1,226 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 674 recoveries. Four deaths were also reported.

As many as new 155,176 Covid-19 tests were carried out, taking the total number of tests carried out in the country to nearly 18.6 million so far.

In a statement, the ministry stressed its aim to continue expanding the scope of testing nationwide to facilitate the early detection of coronavirus cases and carry out the necessary treatment.

However, doctors in the UAE are advising residents to continue wearing their masks and maintain social distancing norms, even after being administered China’s Sinopharm vaccine. Abu Dhabi rolled out the immunisation drive last Thursday and Dubai followed suit on Monday amid an overwhelming public response. Doctors have cautioned those who have received the jabs must be careful to protect those who are yet to be inoculated.

More than 71.69 million people have been reported to be infected by coronavirus globally and deaths have crossed 1.6 million. With 299,489 deaths and over 16.3 million confirmed cases, the United States tops the list of twenty countries with the highest recorded infections and deaths in the world.

Meanwhile, business activity in Dubai’s non-oil private sector declined in November, but job shedding eased as the impact of the pandemic appeared to worsen amid increased worries about a slowing economic recovery, latest data showed. The UAE’s non-oil gross domestic product is expected to grow by 3.6 per cent in 2021, the Central Bank estimates, suggesting the economy will rebound from an expected contraction in 2020.

Source: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/corona...s-1226-covid-19-cases-674-recoveries-4-deaths.

 

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Jordan records 30 deaths and 2,547 new coronavirus cases

Jordan has recorded 30 deaths and 2,547 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases since the beginning of the crisis to 265,024.

The death toll has risen to 3,437.

The cases are:

- 901 in Amman

- 214 in Zarqa

- 131 in Karak

- 70 in Jerash

-39 in Ajloun

-34 in Tafilah

- 808 in Irbid, including 31 in Ramtha

- 153 in Balqa

- 76 in Aqaba

- 54 in Madaba

- 38 in Ma'an, including 16 in Petra

- 29 in Mafraq

A total of 112 cases have been admitted to the hospitals, and 174 have been discharged upon recovery.

There are a total of 35,342 active COVID-19 cases.

A total of 3,591 recoveries have been recorded from hospitals and home quarantine, bringing the total amount of recoveries since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis to 226,245.

There are 1,186 patients receiving treatment in hospitals.

A total of 20,827 PCR tests have been conducted, bringing the total number of tests conducted since the beginning of the crisis to 2,871,550.

Tuesday, 12.23 percent of PCR tests have come back positive.

Source: https://en.royanews.tv/news/24183/2020-12-15.

 

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Official: Iran-made COVID-19 vaccine could be ready by July

Iran will be ready to administer a locally produced coronavirus vaccine on high-risk patients by July, if the results of the vaccine's clinical trials are positive in January, a health ministry official said.

"Four local companies are currently working to produce a vaccine for coronavirus and the companies' products will begin the clinical trials phase in early January." a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Dr. Sima Sadat Lari, said in a statement yesterday.

Lari said that in addition to efforts to purchase the vaccine through the COVAX facility – a global body working to ensure equal access to the inoculation, the health ministry has been in consultations with three other countries; namely India, Russia and China, to purchase vaccines from them.

According to the Iranian official, the main obstacle facing Iran's efforts to purchase the vaccines is US sanctions.

"Despite the currency exchange problem, the health ministry in cooperation with some parties will follow up on the issue, and in recent days promising reports have been issued to complete consultations for the purchase of vaccines," she added.

The Islamic republic has registered 1.12 million covid cases with almost 54,500 deaths, making it the worst hit country in the Middle East.

Source: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/2...made-covid-19-vaccine-could-be-ready-by-july/.

 

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215 new coronavirus cases, 3 deaths reported in Oman

Muscat: The Ministry of Health has registered 215 new coronavirus cases and 3 deaths in Oman.

The total cases in the country have now touched 126,719 including 118505 recoveries and 1475 deaths, according to MOH.

In the past 24 hours, 218 recoveries were reported.

The ministry urged everyone to adhere to social distancing instructions issued by the Supreme Committee and the MOH.

Source: https://timesofoman.com/article/215-new-coronavirus-cases-3-deaths-reported-in-oman.

 

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Coronavirus in Iran: Daily Deaths Drop to 213

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The daily death toll from the coronavirus in Iran is decreasing gradually and has stood at 213 in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Health Ministry Spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari put the death toll from COVID-19 in Iran at 52,883, saying the disease has taken the lives of 213 patients over the past 24 hours.

She said the total number of people tested positive for COVID-19 in the country has exceeded 1,131,000 following the detection of 7,603 new cases since yesterday.

Of the new cases detected since Tuesday, 1,157 patients have been admitted to the hospital, she added.

At least 844,430 patients have recovered from the coronavirus infection so far or have been discharged from hospitals across Iran, the spokeswoman said.

Among those undergoing treatment in medical centers at present, 5,678 coronavirus patients have critical health conditions because of more severe infection, Lari noted.

She further said more than 6,846,000 coronavirus diagnostic tests have been carried out in Iran so far.

The number of people infected with COVID-19 across the world has surpassed 74 million and the death toll has exceeded 1,640,000.

Source: https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/12/16/2411834/coronavirus-in-iran-daily-deaths-drop-to-213.

 

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Daily coronavirus report in Palestine: 26 deaths, 2525 new cases, and 2240 recoveries

RAMALLAH, Wednesday, December 16, 2020 (WAFA) – Twenty-six people have died of coronavirus in Palestine in the last 24 hours, 2525 new cases were recorded, and 2240 patients have recovered, today said Minister of Health Mai Alkaila.

She said in her daily report on coronavirus in Palestine that 15 of the deaths were in the West Bank, 10 in the Gaza Strip, and one in East Jerusalem.

The West Bank recorded 1262 new cases, including 217 in Hebron, 245 in Jenin, 201 in Nablus, 203 in Ramallah, and 113 in Bethlehem, while 1188 have recovered.

Gaza had 935 new cases and 797 recoveries, while East Jerusalem had 328 new cases over two days and 255 recoveries.

According to Alkaila, 137 patients are in intensive care, including 39 on ventilators.

Source: https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/122472.

 

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116 new coronavirus cases, 5 deaths reported in Oman

Muscat: The Ministry of Health has registered 116 new coronavirus cases and 5 deaths in Oman.

The total cases in the country have now touched 126,835 including 118736 recoveries and 1480 deaths, according to MOH.

In the past 24 hours, 231 recoveries were reported.

The ministry urged everyone to adhere to social distancing instructions issued by the Supreme Committee and the MOH.

Source: https://timesofoman.com/article/116-new-coronavirus-cases-5-deaths-reported-in-oman.

 

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Coronavirus: UAE reports 1,278 Covid-19 cases, 726 recoveries, 4 deaths

More than 18.8 million Covid-19 tests have been carried out in the country so far.
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Wednesday reported 1,278 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 726 recoveries. Four deaths were also reported.

As many as new 144,174 Covid-19 tests were carried out, taking the total number of tests carried out in the country to nearly 18.8 million so far.

The UAE has conducted over 18.6 million tests till date as part of the country's massive screening programmes to combat the spread of the coronavirus. In a statement, the ministry stressed its aim to continue expanding the scope of testing nationwide to facilitate the early detection of Covid cases and carry out the necessary treatment.

Meanwhile, authorities have advised residents to exercise caution during the festive season. Physical distancing will have to be observed and handwashing should still be practised. Masks should be worn at all times and everyone must be careful in interacting with the elderly.

However, individuals who had suffered moderate to severe Covid-19 infection may have developed adequate immunity against the virus, studies have revealed. Further tests would determine if they still need the vaccine, a top government official said on Tuesday.

Patients whose Covid infection had been minor or were asymptomatic may not have the necessary immunity. The decision to vaccinate Covid-recovered residents will largely depend on the recommendations and evaluations by medical specialists.

Source: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/corona...s-1278-covid-19-cases-726-recoveries-4-deaths.

 

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Jordan records 28 deaths and 2,561 new coronavirus cases

Jordan has recorded 28 deaths and 2,561 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases since the beginning of the crisis to 267,585.

The death toll has risen to 3,465.

The cases are:

- 926 in Amman

- 771 in Irbid, including 81 in Ramtha

- 174 in Ajloun

- 136 in Zarqa

- 124 in Balqa

- 90 in Mafraq

- 74 in Jerash

- 66 in Aqaba

- 60 in Madaba

- 53 in Karak

- 50 in Tafilah

- 37 in Ma'an, including eight in Petra

A total of 136 cases have been admitted to the hospitals, and 138 have been discharged upon recovery.

There are a total of 33,846 active COVID-19 cases.

A total of 4,029 recoveries have been recorded from hospitals and home quarantine, bringing the total amount of recoveries since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis to 230,274.

There are 1,149 patients receiving treatment in hospitals.

A total of 22,540 PCR tests have been conducted, bringing the total number of tests conducted since the beginning of the crisis to 2,894,090.

Wednesday, 11.36 percent of PCR tests have come back positive.

Source: https://en.royanews.tv/news/24215/2020-12-16.

 

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COVID-19: Palestine records 30 new deaths, 2,149 cases

Total number of coronavirus cases reaches 133,186, with 106,800 recoveries and 1,186 fatalities

RAMALLAH, Palestine

The Palestinian Health Ministry on Thursday recorded 30 new fatalities related to the novel coronavirus and 2,149 cases over the past 24 hours.

The ministry said 18 deaths were recorded in the occupied West Bank, while 12 others in the blockaded Gaza Strip.

Thursday's figures pushed the total number of cases to 133,186, including 106,840 recoveries and 1,186 deaths.

Since first being detected in Wuhan, China in December, COVID-19 has claimed more than 1.65 million lives in 191 countries and regions.

More than 74.37 million cases have been reported worldwide, with recoveries exceeding 42.1 million, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.

Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/latest-on-...ine-records-30-new-deaths-2-149-cases/2080547.

 

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60,000 nurses infected with coronavirus in Iran

Iran said on Thursday that around 60,000 nurses have contracted the coronavirus across the country, including 100 of them losing their lives, Anadolu Agency reports.

According to the Iranian ISNA news agency, head of the Nurses Association Mohammad Mirzabeigi said that out of 145,000 nurses across the country, around 60,000 of them have so far contracted the novel coronavirus.

"Currently, there are 6,000 nurses in quarantine centers, while the number of deaths [among the nurses] has reached 100." Mirzabeigi added.

Since the first case was reported on Feb. 19, the number of coronavirus infections in Iran has reached 1,138,550 with 53,093 fatalities.

Source: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201217-60000-nurses-infected-with-coronavirus-in-iran/.

 

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COVID-19: UAE reports 3 deaths and 1321 new coronavirus cases

The updated figures were posted on Thursday

Dubai: The UAE on Thursday reported 3 more fatalities and 1,321 new cases of COVID-19, taking the country’s tally of infections to 189,866 and death toll to 629.

In its daily update on coronavirus, the Ministry of Health and Prevention announced an additional 792 recoveries , pushing the total number of people recovered from the virus to 166,541.

The ministry conducted 139,909 PCR tests over the past 24 hours in line with its plan to widen the scope of tests.

The ministry expressed sincere condolences to the deceased’s families and wished a speedy recovery for patients who are still under treatment. It urged community members to cooperate with health authorities and to continue abide by health protocols and precautionary measures for their safety.

Source: https://gulfnews.com/uae/health/cov...nd-1321-new-coronavirus-cases-1.1608185544212.

 

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Jordan records 31 deaths and 2,221 new coronavirus cases

Jordan has recorded 31 deaths and 2,221 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, bringing the total number of cases since the beginning of the crisis to 269,806.

The death toll has risen to 3,496.

The cases are:

-712 in Amman

-166 in Mafraq

-147 in Zarqa

-92 in Jerash

-72 in Karak

-48 in Tafilah

-572 in Irbid, including 86 in Ramtha

-149 in Balqa

-92 in Ajloun

-91 in Madaba

-59 in Aqaba

-21 in Ma'an, including five in Petra

A total of 137 cases have been admitted to the hospitals, and 123 have been discharged upon recovery.

There are a total of 32,920 active COVID-19 cases.

A total of 3,116 recoveries have been recorded from hospitals and home quarantine, bringing the total amount of recoveries since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis to 233,390.

There are 1,136 patients receiving treatment in hospitals.

A total of 21,176 PCR tests have been conducted, bringing the total number of tests conducted since the beginning of the crisis to 2,915,266.

Thursday, 10.49 percent of PCR tests have come back positive.

Source: https://en.royanews.tv/news/24235/Jordan-records-31-deaths-and-2-221-new-coronavirus-cases.

 

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184 new coronavirus cases, 3 deaths reported in Oman

Muscat: The Ministry of Health has registered 184 new coronavirus cases and 3 deaths in Oman.

The total cases in the country have now touched 127019 including 119009 recoveries and 1483 deaths, according to MOH.

In the past 24 hours, 273 recoveries were reported.

The ministry urged everyone to adhere to social distancing instructions issued by the Supreme Committee and the MOH.

Source: https://timesofoman.com/article/184-new-coronavirus-cases-3-deaths-reported-in-oman.

 

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Daily coronavirus report in Palestine: 30 dead, 2149 new cases, and 2027 recoveries

RAMALLAH, Thursday, December 17, 2020 (WAFA) – Thirty people have died of coronavirus in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours, 2149 new cases were recorded, and 2027 patients have recovered, today said Minister of Health Mai Alkaila in her daily report on coronavirus in Palestine. No data was available from East Jerusalem.

She said that 18 people have died of coronavirus in the West Bank and 12 in the Gaza Strip.

The West Bank had 1134 new cases, including 153 in Hebron, 179 in Jenin, 194 in Nablus, 76 in Tulkarm, 208 in Ramallah, and 100 in Bethlehem. It also had 1282 recoveries.

The Gaza Strip had 1015 new cases and 745 recoveries.

Alkaila said 132 patients are currently in intensive care, including 36 on ventilators.

Source: https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/122487.

 

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Why Iran is last in line for Covid-19 vaccines

Iranian authorities make contradictory statements that seem to signal official reluctance to receive Western-made vaccines

As nations worldwide jockey to secure access to the newly authorized Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, Iranian authorities continue to issue contradictory statements about how and whether inoculations will be made available in the country.

Iran, the Middle East’s hardest pandemic-hit country, is by all accounts lagging in the global race to obtain the shots, sparking new criticism of President Hassan Rouhani’s perceived as lacking pandemic response. Iran’s Covid-19 death toll surpassed 53,000 on Thursday.

Iran is one of 94 countries that have inked commitment agreements with the COVAX facility co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI); and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The COVAX facility is one of the three main components of the Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT) accelerator founded under the auspices of the WHO, European Commission and the French government to ensure that all countries, including low-income ones, can acquire coronavirus diagnostics, treatment and vaccines.

But politics and ideology are clouding Iran’s receptiveness to outside vaccines, analysts and observers say.

Iran’s vaccine hopes took a hit when Abdolnaser Hemmati, the governor of the Central Bank of Iran, wrote on his Instagram page on December 7 that Iran’s attempts to purchase vaccination through the COVAX arrangement were “stalled” due to US sanctions.

“Since the purchase of Covid-19 vaccine should be dealt with through the official World Health Organization channels, any effort so far to remit and transfer the needed foreign currency has been obstructed due to the inhumane sanctions of the US government and the necessity of obtaining permits by OFAC,” Hemmati wrote in his post.

Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is the financial intelligence arm of the US Department of Treasury that oversees and implements economic sanctions. In order to engage in financial, banking and business relationships with Iran, nations need to obtain OFAC permits or they will be targeted with US secondary sanctions if their Iran transactions are detected.

US sanctions have impinged on nearly every aspect of life in Iran, including the government’s ability to provide essential goods. But Iran still has instruments at its disposal to keep humanitarian trade and aid up and running, and other countries have indicated a willingness to help.

The US State Department tweeted on in its Persian language handle on Thursday that the US has “never sanctioned Iran’s health and medical sectors, humanitarian assistance and medicine and will not do so.”

The Ministry of Health, claiming that sanctions are impacting Iran’s access to foreign vaccines, has announced that Iran is working on a domestic vaccine that will most likely be unveiled in June 2021.

Payam Tabarsi, the head of the infectious diseases department at Tehran’s Masih Daneshvari Hospital and one of the researchers involved in the Iranian Covid vaccine project, told Hamshahri newspaper that some officials “make unnecessary noises” by wrongly claiming they have purchased vaccination from overseas while Iran cannot transact in US dollars.

“Even to acquire the flu vaccine, we were unable to transfer money… We should accept that we are under sanctions and we cannot move money abroad, so we cannot purchase vaccines. This is very simple. We need to develop a vaccine ourselves,” he said.

Iranian officials, however, continue to refute each other and confuse Iranians who have struggled and suffered from the pandemic for nearly a year with overstretched hospitals and highly fatigued medical workers.

On December 8, Kianoush Jahanpour, the spokesman of the Iran Food and Drug Administration (IFDA), told the Islamic Republic News Agency that a total of 42 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine will be purchased for 21 million Iranians, of which nearly 17 million will be supplied through the COVAX facility, 21 million will be imported from foreign manufacturing firms directly and the rest would be produced through joint ventures with other countries.

Yet four days after Jahanpour’s promising announcement, Mostafa Ghanei, the head of the scientific committee of the national coronavirus taskforce, appeared on state TV to pour cold water on the idea of importing vaccines via the COVAX mechanism.

He said Iran has notified COVAX that it does not need the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine because, according to him, Iran does not have the well-equipped aircraft to air transport the jabs in extremely cold temperatures and also lacks the specialized fridges to store the vaccines at temperatures of -70 degrees Celsius, which is required to ensure the vaccine’s effectiveness.

Further complicating the situation, Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami retorted on December 17 that there is no difficulty in terms of air transporting the vaccines, and as soon as the Ministry of Health specifies the country of origin, Iranian planes will be able to take delivery of batches.

The Head of the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran Touraj Dehghani also confirmed that there are two airline companies, namely Iran Air and Mahan Air, that are ready to help with the delivery of vaccines and have the “necessary conditions” to do so.

Logistics and sanctions aside, conspiracy theories are circulating by anti-science hardliners in Iran, who since the beginning of the outbreak have defied social distancing and other health protocols and pilloried the WHO for being an irreligious organization.

On December 7, Zahra Sheikhi, a conservative member of Iran’s parliament, misquoted the billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates in a string of tweets as reputedly saying he intends to eliminate 15% of the world’s population through the coronavirus vaccine. That falsely attributed statement was taken from a doctored video.

Sheikhi also accused the WHO of being a “promoter of abortion”, insinuating that Iran should thus not order vaccines through the COVAX framework.

Experts say if the Islamic Republic is determined to import internationally-verified vaccines and prioritize public health, the sanctions and perceived logistical intricacies that apply to all countries should not prevent it from serving and saving its citizens.

“In his recent interviews, the WHO representative in Iran, Dr Christoph Hamelmann, has assured Iranians that sanction rules and regulations are not going to be applied when purchasing vaccines from COVAX and that Iranians can have their fair share as long as they pay the vaccine costs to the COVAX facility,” said Mahan Ghafari, an epidemiology scholar at the University of Oxford.

Ghafari warns the pandemic’s toll could intensify if Iran drags its feet and fails to purchase vaccination in quantities needed to immunize a population that remains highly vulnerable to infection: “I think not purchasing vaccines from COVAX is going to delay appropriate public health response. We have to remember that we are still in the middle of a pandemic and a large fraction of the Iranian population is still susceptible to contracting Covid-19.”

“Therefore, such delays can have serious public health consequences and may result in a potentially higher death toll in the coming months while the Iranians still wait for their domestic vaccines to bear fruitful results in the clinical trials,” he told Asia Times.

While Iranian authorities dispense often conflicting comments about being ready to import internationally approved vaccines, while at the same time persuading the public to trust a domestic vaccine, experts say politics and ideology underpin Iran’s apparent resistance to foreign vaccines.

“Given my limited awareness, it is quite hard to say what are the main reasons Iran may not be willing to import and use the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, but I would not be shocked if someone says both political and ideological reasons can somehow explain these drastic decisions being made by Iran,” said Mostafa Shokoohi, an epidemiologist and CIHR postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto.

“Iran is right that some vaccines require special facilities to keep the vaccine safe, especially the one from Pfizer-BioNTech, but what about the vaccine created by Moderna which does not require such facilities? We know that Moderna’s vaccine remains stable at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius,” he told Asia Times.

“As you see, it is not a matter of buying some other facilities or materials. It is a matter of something else that we are not fully aware of it, or if we are aware, we have no clear explanation for them.”

A spokesperson with the Geneva-based Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, told Asia Times that “an OFAC license has been secured, so there is no legal barrier to Iran procuring vaccines through the COVAX facility.”

Gavi, a public-private global health partnership striving to expand the umbrella of immunization over poorer countries has so far “secured up to 200 million doses of a vaccine for lower-income countries with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, under their tech transfer agreements with AstraZeneca and Novavax.”

“The vaccines produced will be either Novavax or AstraZeneca’s candidate vaccines, depending on which attains licensure or prequalification. This deal also includes substantial options for further doses,” the spokesperson added.

Source: https://asiatimes.com/2020/12/why-iran-is-last-in-line-for-covid-19-vaccines/.

 

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Iraq reports 1,362 new COVID-19 cases, 581,811 in total

BAGHDAD, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry reported on Friday 1,362 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total nationwide infections to 581,811.

The ministry also reported 20 new deaths and 1,770 more recovered cases in the country, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 12,670 and the total recoveries to 517,091.

The new cases included 358 in the capital Baghdad, 251 in Kirkuk, 182 in Nineveh, and 114 in Duhok, according to a ministry statement.

A total of 4,081,241 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February, with 34,670 done during the day, according to the statement.

Iraq has taken a series of measures to contain the pandemic since February when the first coronavirus case appeared in the country.

China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad.

Since March 7, China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq.

Source: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-12/18/c_139601397.htm.

 

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Coronavirus: UAE reports 1,284 Covid-19 cases, 765 recoveries, 1 death

More than 18.95 million Covid-19 tests have been carried out in the country so far.
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Friday reported 1,284 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 765 recoveries. One death was also reported.

As many as new 144,602 Covid-19 tests were carried out, taking the total number of tests carried out in the country to nearly 18.95 million so far.

On December 9, the UAE approved the Chinese firm Sinopharm’s Covid-19 vaccine that has 86 per cent efficacy. Abu Dhabi Ports has been a core member in the vaccine distribution mission with its advanced logistics capacity and capabilities. With a 19,000-square metre temperature-controlled warehouse facility on 40,000-square metre plot in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad), it has the capacity to store and distribute 70 million vaccines. The newly-launched Hope Consortium has bolstered its distribution reach following a strategic agreement with leading international freight forwarders. The latest consortium partners, which include Agility, Aramex, Hellmann and Kuehne + Nagel, will help address the different steps of the logistical challenge, including ‘last mile’, with a capacity of billions of Covid-19 vaccine doses by the end of 2021.

Meanwhile, the arrival of Covid-19 vaccine in the UAE just before the start of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) is a big boost for shopper’s confidence. Dubai’s month-long shopping extravaganza, that began on December 17, is one of the biggest in the emirate’s annual event’s calendar. Complete with raffle draws, family entertainment, live concerts and retail promotions, the 26th edition of the festival will be on till January 30, 2021. Organisers have said that strict Covid safety measures will be in place at participating malls and shopping destinations.

Source: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/corona...ts-1284-covid-19-cases-765-recoveries-1-death.

 

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Jordan confirms 22 deaths and 1,708 new coronavirus cases

Jordan has recorded 22 deaths and 1,708 new COVID-19 cases Friday, bringing the total number of cases since the beginning of the crisis to 271,514.

The death toll has now risen to 3,518.

The cases are:

-522 in Amman

-662 in Irbid, including 67 in Ramtha

-150 in Zarqa

-54 in Madaba

-48 in Jerash

-36 in Ajloun

-16 in Ma'an, including one in Petra

-101 in Mafraq

-50 in Balqa

-48 in Karak

-19 in Tafilah

-Two in Aqaba

A total of 137 cases have been admitted to the hospitals, and 153 have been discharged upon recovery.

There are a total of 31,446 active COVID-19 cases.

A total of 3,160 recoveries have been recorded from hospitals and home quarantine, bringing the total amount of recoveries since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis to 236,550.

There are 1,101 patients receiving treatment in hospitals.

A total of 17,735 PCR tests have been conducted, bringing the total number of tests conducted since the beginning of the crisis to 2,933,001.

Friday, 9.63 percent of PCR tests have come back positive.

Source: https://en.royanews.tv/news/24253/Jordan-confirms-22-deaths-and-1-708-new-coronavirus-cases.

 

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Coronavirus: UAE reports 1,254 Covid-19 cases, 823 recoveries, 4 deaths

The country has conducted 19 million tests so far.
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Saturday reported 1,254 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 823 recoveries and four deaths.

As many as new 136,132 Covid-19 tests were carried out, taking the total number of tests carried out in the country to 19 million so far.

As on December 19, the total number of cases in UAE stand at 192,404 while total recoveries are 168,129. Total deaths are 634.

There are currently 23,641 active cases in UAE.

On December 9, the UAE approved the Chinese firm Sinopharm’s Covid-19 vaccine that has 86 per cent efficacy. Abu Dhabi Ports has been a core member in the vaccine distribution mission with its advanced logistics capacity and capabilities.

With a 19,000-square metre temperature-controlled warehouse facility on 40,000-square metre plot in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad), it has the capacity to store and distribute 70 million vaccines. The newly-launched Hope Consortium has bolstered its distribution reach following a strategic agreement with leading international freight forwarders. The latest consortium partners, which include Agility, Aramex, Hellmann and Kuehne + Nagel, will help address the different steps of the logistical challenge, including ‘last mile’, with a capacity of billions of Covid-19 vaccine doses by the end of 2021.

Meanwhile, the arrival of Covid-19 vaccine in the UAE just before the start of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) is a big boost for shopper’s confidence. Dubai’s month-long shopping extravaganza, that began on December 17, is one of the biggest in the emirate’s annual event’s calendar. Complete with raffle draws, family entertainment, live concerts and retail promotions, the 26th edition of the festival will be on till January 30, 2021. Organisers have said that strict Covid safety measures will be in place at participating malls and shopping destinations.

Source: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/corona...s-1254-covid-19-cases-823-recoveries-4-deaths.

 

[sweep_shot]

Jordan confirms 27 deaths and 1,283 new coronavirus cases

Jordan has recorded 27 deaths and 1,283 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, bringing the total number of cases since the beginning of the crisis to 272,797.

The death toll has now risen to 3,545.

The cases are:

- 466 in Irbid, including 42 in Ramtha

- 428 in Amman

- 116 in Mafraq

- 74 in Balqa

- 65 in Aqaba

- 44 in Karak

- 33 in Jerash

- 29 in Ajloun

- 27 in Zarqa

- One in Madaba

- None in Tafilah

- None in Ma'an

A total of 124 cases have been admitted to the hospitals, and 59 have been discharged upon recovery.

There are a total of 30,126 active COVID-19 cases.

A total of 2,576 recoveries have been recorded from hospitals and home quarantine, bringing the total amount of recoveries since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis to 239,126.

There are 1,149 patients receiving treatment in hospitals.

A total of 11,336 PCR tests have been conducted, bringing the total number of tests conducted since the beginning of the crisis to 2,944,337.

Saturday, 11.32 percent of PCR tests have come back positive.

Source: https://en.royanews.tv/news/24270/2020-12-19.