Virus Claims 19 Lives In Libya, 2 In UAE

The coronavirus pandemic claimed 19 lives in Libya and two others in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday.



In a statement, Libya's National Center for Disease Control said 917 new infections and 608 recoveries were recorded, pushing the country's tally to 51,625 confirmed cases, including 765 deaths, and 28,440 recoveries.



The UAE health authorities said the virus sickened 1,538 people over the past 24 hours, taking the Gulf state's count to 119,132 cases, including 472 deaths and 111,814 recoveries.



Since starting in China in late December last year, the coronavirus pandemic has spread worldwide, claiming over 1.12 million lives in 188 countries and regions, and causing nearly 40.8 million infections, according to the latest figures from the US' Johns Hopkins University.



Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara -