CAIRO, Dec 30 (NNN-MENA) – Iran yesterday started human trials of its indigenous COVID-19 vaccine. Meanwhile, the tally of Turkey’s cases surpassed 2.17 million, after 15,805 new infections were added.
CovIran Barekat, the first Iranian domestic vaccine for COVID-19, entered the stage of human trials, Hojjat Nik Maleki, spokesman of the headquarters for Executing the Order of Imam Khomeini (EIKO), was quoted by Iranian media as saying.
EIKO is a state-owned enterprise under the direct control of the country’s Supreme Leadership Authority, led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. A total of 56 volunteers received the vaccine at the current stage of the trial, said EIKO.
Iran announced yesterday 6,108 new infections, raising its overall count of COVID-19 cases to 1,212,481.
Death toll from the virus climbed by 132 to 54,946, while 969,408 patients have recovered, Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said, at her daily briefing.
In Turkey, the total cases surged to 2,178,580, while the death toll from the disease climbed to 20,388, after 253 more fatalities were confirmed. The tally of recoveries in Turkey rose by 21,004 to 2,058,437.
Iraq’s Ministry of Health reported 1,013 new cases in the country, bringing its total infections to 593,541.
The ministry also reported nine new deaths, raising the death toll to 12,800, and 1,487 more recovered cases, bringing the total recoveries to 534,801.
Israel’s Ministry of Health reported 5,352 new cases yesterday, bringing the total to 409,338.
The death toll from the virus in Israel rose to 3,257, with 17 new fatalities, while the number of patients in serious condition remained unchanged at 609, out of 1,030 hospitalised patients.
The ministry said, the number of vaccinated people reached 495,000, since the vaccination campaign began on Dec 20.
Morocco announced yesterday, 2,160 new cases, taking the tally in the country since Mar 2, to 435,189.
The number of recoveries increased to 401,429, after 1,854 more were added, while the death toll rose by 42 to 7,314, the Moroccan Ministry of Health said.
Saudi Arabia reported 149 more cases and eight more fatalities, taking its tally of infections to 362,488, and its death toll to 6,204. The tally of recoveries in the kingdom surged by 159 to 353,512.
Jordan announced 1,645 new infections and 23 more deaths from the virus, taking the tally of confirmed cases to 291,393 and its death toll to 3,801.
The tally of recoveries in Jordan increased to 266,622, after 2,561 more patients recovered from the disease.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported 1,506 new cases and two more deaths, raising its total infections to 204,369 and its death toll to 662. The total number of recoveries in the UAE rose by 1,475 to 181,400.
Lebanon recorded 2,298 new cases and 21 more deaths, bringing its tally to 175,118 and its death count to 1,430. The total recoveries in Lebanon climbed to 125,473 after 1,239 more patients recovered.
Kuwait reported 236 new cases, taking its tally to 150,093, including 932 deaths and 146,056 recoveries.
Kuwait will resume flights at Kuwait International Airport at 4:00 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) on Saturday, Kuwait’s Directorate-General for Civil Aviation, said.
The Kuwaiti government decided to suspend all international commercial flights and close its land and sea border crossings from Dec 21, until Jan 1, 2021, to curb the spread of the pandemic.
Qatar’s Health Ministry yesterday announced 206 new infections, raising the total confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 143,428, while total fatalities increased by one to 245.– NNN-MENA
