Iran reports 23,311 new COVID-19 cases; Iraq receives 2nd batch of China-donated vaccines

A boy with a face mask walks past closed shops at the Grand Bazaar in Tehran, Iran, April 10, 2021. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)

-- Iran reports 23,311 new cases;

-- Iraq receives 2nd batch of China-donated vaccines;

-- Kuwait reports 1,635 new cases;

-- Lebanon's infections rise to 497,854.

CAIRO, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Monday reported 23,311 new COVID-19 cases, taking the country's total infections to 2,093,452. Meanwhile, Iraq received the second batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by China on Sunday.

The pandemic has so far claimed 64,764 lives in Iran, up by 274 in the past 24 hours, said Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, during her daily briefing.

A total of 1,720,084 people have recovered from the disease or been discharged from hospitals across the country, while 4,440 remain in intensive care units, she noted.

Iraq on Sunday received the second batch of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese government to help the country combat the pandemic.

A handover ceremony held at the Baghdad International Airport was attended by Chinese Ambassador to Iraq Zhang Tao, Iraqi Health Minister Hassan al-Tamimi, and several other senior Iraqi health officials.

The donated Chinese vaccines are expected to advance the national immunization plan in Iraq, as the country has recorded unprecedented daily COVID-19 infections in recent days.

The Iraqi Ministry of Health reported on Monday 7,953 new coronavirus cases, raising the total nationwide infections to 932,899.

It also reported 44 new deaths, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 14,757, while the total recoveries in Iraq climbed by 5,679 to 820,532.

It said that 12,174 people were vaccinated during the past 24 hours across the country, bringing the total number of doses received to 152,962.

A worker unloads the COVID-19 vaccines from China at the Baghdad International Airport in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)

Israel's Ministry of Health reported 228 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, raising the total infections in the country to 836,128.

The death toll from the virus rose by four to 6,304. The total recoveries in Israel rose to 826,481 after 403 newly recovered cases were added.

The number of people vaccinated against COVID-19 in Israel surpassed 5.32 million, or 57 percent of its total population, since the vaccination campaign began on Dec. 20, 2020.

The Qatari health ministry announced 973 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 190,998.

Meanwhile, 559 more people recovered from the virus, bringing the overall recoveries to 170,194, while the fatalities increased by two to 335.

The Omani health ministry announced 1,480 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the sultanate to 173,029.

Meanwhile, 1,202 people recovered during the past 24 hours, taking the overall recoveries to 153,986, while 13 deaths were reported, pushing the death toll from the virus up to 1,789.

People wearing face masks walk on a street in Rabat, Morocco, on April 10, 2021. (Xinhua/Chadi)

The Kuwaiti Health Ministry reported 1,635 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total infections in the country to 248,729.

The ministry also announced five more fatalities, taking the death toll to 1,412, while the tally of recoveries rose by 1,316 to 232,556. A total of 14,761 coronavirus patients are receiving treatment, including 228 in the intensive care units.

Lebanon registered 1,008 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of infections to 497,854. Meanwhile, the death toll from the virus increased by 42 to 6,703.

Lebanon's caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hassan announced that Lebanon's test positivity rate for COVID-19 dropped from 21 percent to 15 percent after the administration of vaccines.

Morocco's COVID-19 tally rose to 502,277 as 175 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours.

According to a statement by the Ministry of Health, the death toll rose to 8,909 with nine new fatalities during the last 24 hours. The total number of recoveries from COVID-19 in Morocco increased to 488,632 after 271 new ones were added.

A medical worker collects a swab sample from a kid for a COVID-19 test at a medical center in Gaza City, April 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Rizek Abdeljawad)

The Islamic Hamas movement, which is in control of the Gaza Strip,decided on Monday to tighten the precautionary measures to battle the coronavirus during the upcoming Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said 2,762 new COVID-19 infections and 26 deaths were registered across the Palestinian territories during the last 24 hours.