Coronavirus infections rise in Middle East

Since raising its head in central China late last year, the new coronavirus has come to affect 157 countries and territories.

Here is a breakdown of the toll exacted on the region by the virus that has so far killed more than 5,800 people and infected upwards of 153,500 others worldwide:

Persian Gulf

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar, which together comprise the regional Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), have raised their total number of infections to 963, Reuters reported.

The number includes 118 cases in Saudi Arabia, 98 in the UAE, and 401 in Qatar.

Among the countries, Bahrain has reported one death, with the tiny island country's ministry of health identifying the fatality on Twitter as a 65-year-old woman with pre-existing medical conditions.

The toll comes amid accusations against some of the states of trying to cover up the extent of the outbreak.

Saudi Arabia has locked down the Shia-majority Qatif region in its Eastern Province. The UAE, meanwhile, has identified its most recent cases as “12 more travel-linked” infections.

Outdoing the rest, the kingdom and Kuwait halted international passenger flights, while the UAE and Qatar restricted entry visas, and Oman said it would start taking in only GCC citizens as of Tuesday.

In Iran, which has repeatedly asserted its adherence to transparency concerning matters that relate to the outbreak, the Health Ministry has announced 13,938 infections, 4,790 cases of recovery, and 726 deaths.

The Islamic Republic has urged close regional cooperation in the face of the crisis, and urged strongly against politicization of the situation.

Iran criticizes Bahrain for ‘negligence’ over repatriating its citizens amid coronavirus spread

Iran criticizes Bahrain for failing to cooperate with Tehran in repatriation of its citizens amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The country has, meanwhile, urged international action against the United States’ sanctions on its food and medicine imports as it has assigned all its possible resources to the virus fight.

Lebanon

Lebanon’s health ministry has offered an infection tally of 99, saying three people have also died from the virus.

The country on Sunday urged people to stay at home for two weeks and prepared to close its main airport to stem the spread, the AFP reported.

Israel

According to Israeli paper Ha’aretz, 250 people have so far tested positive for the novel coronavirus, four of whom are in “serious condition.”

The regime has isolated thousands, closed schools and universities as well as cultural and recreational organizations, and banned “indoor gatherings” of over 10 people.

Tel Aviv has also banned all foreigners from entering the occupying entity “unless they can prove they are able to self-quarantine for 14 days upon their arrival,” the paper added.

On Sunday, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and head of the opposition Benny Gantz were summoned to an emergency meeting by president Reuven Rivlin amid the spread of the novel virus across the entity.

Netanyahu was to attend a trial after conviction on corruption charges, but the court session was delayed for two months over apparent coronavirus concerns.

Palestine

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 38 cases in the occupied Palestinian territories, but no deaths.

In the Gaza Strip, Hamas on Sunday closed a pedestrian crossing in the southern city of Rafah with Egypt and the Erez crossing between the coastal sliver and Israel. The movement also ordered closure of all schools, universities, and kindergartens until the end of March.

Iraq

According to Reuters, Iraq has put the number of infections across the country at 124 and the deaths at 10.

The state news agency said on Sunday that the government had imposed a curfew in the capital Baghdad and suspended all flights to and from the Baghdad International Airport as of March 17 until March 24 to prevent the virus from spreading.

Turkey

Turkey’s Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Monday that the country had identified 12 new coronavirus cases, bringing its total to 18.

Koca said two of the new cases were related to the first case reported in the country, seven had traveled from Europe and three from the United States.

Jordan

Jordan confirmed 12 new cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, although it was not clear how many had been infected in the country as a whole, according to Reuters.

Officials said the crisis that has hit Jordan’s thriving tourism sector, which generates around $5 billion annually, would slash growth projections and deepen an economic downturn.

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