Safiye Karabacak and Esat Firat
26 March 2020•Update: 27 March 2020
ISTANBUL / JERUSALEM
Health authorities in five Arab countries confirmed new cases and deaths from the coronavirus on Wednesday.
Lebanon reported 35 new cases of the coronavirus, known as COVID-19, bringing the total number to 368, the country’s Health Ministry said in a statement.
A total of six people died, while 20 others have recovered from the virus, the statement said.
A total of 13 new cases were also registered in Kuwait, with the total cases of COVID-19 reaching 208, a spokesman for the Kuwaiti Health Ministry said in a news briefing.
Oman's Health Ministry also said 10 new cases were reported in the Gulf country, bringing the total infections to 109.
A total of 23 people, who were treated for the virus, have been discharged from hospitals, the ministry said in a statement.
Iraq's Health Ministry confirmed a total of 31 deaths from the virus, along with 363 infections so far.
The number of cases rose to 86 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as 13 new cases were detected on Thursday, Palestine official news agency WAFA quoted Palestinian government spokesman Ibrahim Milhem as saying.
Palestine reported its first death from the coronavirus on Wednesday.
After first appearing in Wuhan, China, last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 175 countries and territories, according to data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.
The data shows more than 487,600 cases have been reported worldwide since last December, with the death toll above 22,000 and nearly 118,000 successful recoveries.
*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz
