ISTANBUL 

Iraq on Wednesday confirmed 79 new fatalities from the novel coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 1,330.

The Health Ministry said as many as 2,200 more COVID-19 cases have raised the tally to 36,702, while the total number of recoveries stands at 16,814.

The pandemic has claimed nearly 478,300 lives in 188 countries and regions since originating in China last December. The US, Brazil, Russia and India are currently the worst-hit countries.

Over 9.32 million cases have been reported worldwide, while more than 4.67 million patients have recovered, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz