CAIRO, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Iran's total number of COVID-19 cases crossed the 700,000 mark on Tuesday as the pandemic situation continued to worsen in the Islamic republic. Meanwhile, senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat died after struggling with the COVID-19.
Iran, the worst-hit country in the Middle East, reported 10,339 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, raising the total nationwide number to 703,288.
The pandemic has so far claimed 39,202 lives in Iran, up by 453 in the past 24 hours, said Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education.
A total of 530,694 people have recovered from the disease and been discharged from hospitals in Iran, while 5,584 remained in intensive care units, Lari said, adding the risk of infection is high in 27 Iranian provinces.
Starting Tuesday, Iran imposed one-month nationwide hourly restrictions on business activities to tackle the current rapid surge in COVID-19 infections.
Saeb Erekat, secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee and chief Palestinian negotiator, died on Tuesday at 65 after contracting COVID-19.
Erekat died at the Israeli Hadassah Hospital, where he had been treated for about three weeks, after suffering health complications because of his infection with COVID-19.
Palestine on Tuesday reported 660 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of infections in the Palestinian territories to 71,501, including 607 deaths and 62,973 recoveries.
In Iraq, the Health Ministry announced 3,577 new coronavirus infections and 52 more deaths on Tuesday, taking the total COVID-19 infections in the country to 505,310 and the death toll to 11,432. The tally of recoveries rose by 2,432 to 434,665.
Ahmed Mulla Talal, spokesman for Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, said after the weekly cabinet meeting that Kadhimi was briefed on the measures taken by the Health Ministry to contain the pandemic. Kadhimi also directed the health ministry to prepare for receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
Turkey reported 2,529 new COVID-19 cases and 87 more deaths, raising the tally of coronavirus infections in the country to 399,360 and the death toll to 11,059.
The total number of recoveries rose by 2,215 to 342,501, while 3,001 patients were treated in the intensive care units, according to the Turkish Health Ministry.
Turkey introduced on Tuesday more restrictions on the mobility of elderly citizens in the capital Ankara, under which people of over 65 years old are not allowed to leave their homes in principle except between 10 a.m. (0700 GMT) and 4 p.m. local time.
Three Turkish provinces declared on Tuesday a ban on smoking outside while walking in a move to restrain the spread of COVID-19.
The governor's office in the northwestern province of Bursa said the decision aimed at preventing people from taking their masks off to smoke cigarettes, tobacco, and tobacco products. The northwestern province of Balikesir and southern province of Isparta in Turkey also imposed the same ban on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia recorded 471 new coronavirus infections and 17 more deaths on Tuesday, taking the tally of cases in the kingdom to 351,455 and the total deaths to 5,576.
The tally of recoveries in Saudi Arabia increased by 493 to 338,281, while 794 patients were treated in the intensive care units.
Morocco announced 5,214 new COVID-19 cases and 69 more deaths, taking the tally in the North African country since March 2 to 265,165 and the death count to 4,425.
The number of recoveries from coronavirus in Morocco increased to 216,851 after 3,946 more were added, the Moroccan Ministry of Health said in a statement.
Jordan set a new record in daily spike of COVID-19 cases with 5,996 new infections confirmed, leading the tally of infections in the kingdom to 120,982. The death toll in Jordan climbed by 91 to 1,386, the Jordanian Health Ministry said.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) recorded 1,096 new coronavirus infections and three more fatalities, pushing up the country's total COVID-19 cases to 144,385 and the death toll to 518. The total number of recoveries in the UAE surged by 742 to 139,701.
Tunisia confirmed 1,424 new coronavirus infections and 86 more fatalities from the virus, raising the tally of COVID-19 cases to 72,993 and the total deaths to 2,006.
Kuwait reported 903 new COVID-19 cases and five more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 133,381 and the death toll to 821 in the country.
The Kuwaiti health ministry also announced the recovery of 842 more patients, taking the total recoveries in the country to 124,156.
The Qatari health ministry on Tuesday confirmed 230 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 134,663.
The total death count in Qatar rose by one to 233, while the tally of recoveries increased by 243 to 131,733, the ministry said.
Omani Health Ministry reported 381 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the sultanate to 118,884.
The death toll in Oman went up by six to 1,316, while the tally of recoveries rose by 362 to 109,330, according to a ministry statement.
In Lebanon, 1,552 new COVID-19 cases and 17 more fatalities were confirmed on Tuesday, leading the tally of infections to 96,907 and the death toll to 749.
Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced a decision to impose a nationwide lockdown for two weeks starting Saturday, in hopes to curb the spread of COVID-19 and avoid an imminent disaster in the country. Enditem