Coronavirus cases surge in four Arab states

ANKARA

Health authorities in four Arab countries confirmed more deaths and infections from the novel coronavirus on Monday, as the Middle East struggles to stem the spread of the pandemic.

Kuwait's Health Ministry said eight people had died from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 220.

A ministry statement said the country's infections also rose to 27,762 after 719 new cases were registered.

In Libya, the National Center for Disease Control said 26 virus infections were recovered.

The country's confirmed cases now stand at 156, including five deaths, and 52 recoveries.

In Morocco, the Health Ministry confirmed 12 new virus cases, pushing the total infections to 7,819.

Moroccan authorities have so far confirmed 205 deaths from the disease.

The Tunisian Health Ministry, meanwhile, said the country's infections rose to 1,084 after seven new cases were registered.

Tunisia's death toll from the virus now stands at 48.

The pandemic has killed more than 374,000 people worldwide, with more than 6.1 million confirmed cases, while recoveries have surpassed 2.85 million, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University of the US.

*Bassel Ibrahim contributed to this report from Ankara