Turkey's daily COVID-19 cases hit new record; Yemen reports sudden spike in infections

A staff member shows a vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Ankara, Turkey, on March 31, 2021. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)

--Turkey reports over 40,000 daily cases, new record

--Yemen sees sudden surge in COVID-19 infections

--Tally in Iran up 11,750 to 1,897,314

--Lebanon announces 3-day total lockdown for Easter

CAIRO, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Turkey set a new record of daily spike in COVID-19 cases with 40,806 new infections confirmed on Thursday. Meanwhile, Yemen reported a sudden spike in its COVID-19 cases.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Turkey surged to 3,357,988 on Thursday, while its death toll climbed by 176 to 31,713, according to Turkish Health Ministry.

The tally of recoveries from the infectious disease rose by 20,817 to 3,035,043 in Turkey, the ministry said.

Health authorities in Yemen on Thursday reported a sudden surge in the daily confirmed coronavirus cases in the war-torn country.

Around 174 new infections were reported during the last 24 hours in the provinces controlled by the government, raising the caseload to 4,531, Yemeni Health Ministry said.

The ministry also reported 18 new deaths from the coronavirus, raising the COVID-19 death toll in Yemen to 906, while the total recoveries remained at 1,682.

On Wednesday, Yemen received its first shipment of 360,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine shipped through the COVAX. This is part of 1.9 million doses of vaccines that Yemen will receive in 2021.

Yemeni students are seen at a school in Sanaa, Yemen, on March 31, 2021. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed)

Iran reported 11,750 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, raising its nationwide caseload to 1,897,314.

The pandemic has so far claimed 62,759 lives in Iran, up by 94 in the past 24 hours, while a total of 1,626,144 people have recovered from the disease and 3,989 remained in intensive care units.

The Iranian health authorities on Thursday warned against any mass gatherings outdoors on Iran's Nature Day, which falls on Friday.

Iraq's Ministry of Health reported 6,015 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total nationwide infections to 856,939. It also reported 37 new deaths, raising the COVID-19 death toll in Iraq to 14,360, while the total recoveries climbed by 4,536 to 764,096.

Israel's Ministry of Health reported 367 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total confirmed tally in the country to 833,407. The death toll from the virus rose by 15 to 6,218, while the total recoveries in Israel soared by 1,080 to 820,644.

The number of people vaccinated against COVID-19 in Israel has surpassed 5.25 million, or 56.5 percent of its total population, since the vaccination campaign began on Dec. 20, 2020.

A citizen receives a dose of COVID-19 vaccine at a health center in Baghdad, Iraq, March 31, 2021. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)

Jordan announced 6,482 new COVID-19 cases and 82 more deaths from the disease, bringing its tally of infections to 618,059 and its death toll to 6,940. The total number of recoveries in Jordan surged by 7,354 to 520,498.

Morocco registered 579 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total cases in the North African country to 496,676, the health ministry said.

The total number of recoveries from COVID-19 in Morocco increased to 483,711 after 348 new ones were added, while the death toll rose by seven to 8,825.

Lebanon recorded 3,562 new COVID-19 cases, taking its total number of infections to 471,962, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported.

The number of deaths from the virus increased by 52 to 6,286 in Lebanon, which announced a 3-day total lockdown for the Easter holiday starting Saturday to prevent further increase in COVID-19 infections.

A nurse works in a hospital in Beirut, Lebanon, on March 27, 2021. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

Algeria reported 112 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total confirmed number in the North African country to 117,304. The death toll from the virus rose by three to 3,096 in Algeria, while the tally of recoveries increased by 94 to 81,632.

Kuwaiti Health Ministry reported 1,418 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total infections in the country to 233,521. It also confirmed six more fatalities, taking the death toll to 1,319, while the tally of recoveries rose by 1,293 to 217,873.

The Qatari health ministry announced 840 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total confirmed number in the Gulf state to 180,804. It also reported four more deaths from the disease, taking its death toll to 295, while the total recoveries climbed by 423 to 164,544.

In Oman, the health ministry reported 800 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total confirmed cases in the sultanate to 160,018. It also registered three more deaths, taking its death toll to 1,681, while its total recoveries from the virus climbed by 673 to 144,639.