Egypt, Palestine Discuss COVID-19 Cooperation

Egyptian and Palestinian officials discussed cooperation to fight the coronavirus, Egypt's foreign minister said on Tuesday.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Saeb Erekat also spoke via telephone on the future of peace negotiations between Palestine and Israel.

They stressed the importance of restarting negotiations as soon as the pandemic ends.

Seven additional deaths were reported Tuesday in Egypt, bringing the total to 85. Another 149 cases were recorded, bringing that total to 1,322, while 259 patients have recovered.

In Palestine, health officials said six more people tested positive for the virus, bringing the number of total infections to 260.

Since appearing in Wuhan, China last December, the virus known as COVID-19 has spread to at least 184 countries and regions, according to figures compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

More than 1.36 million cases have been reported worldwide, with the global death toll topping 78,200 with nearly 293,000 recoveries.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz -