Live COVID-19 updates: Iraq's cases top 60,000, WHO appreciates Sweden's review of virus response
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E-mail Xinhua, July 5, 2020
BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
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BAGHDAD -- Iraqi Health Ministry on Sunday said that 2,125 new COVID-19 cases were reported, bringing the total infection cases in the country to 60,479.
The ministry also reported 105 more deaths, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 2,473.
It also said that 1,940 people recovered during the day, the highest single-day recoveries so far, bringing the total recoveries from the disease to 33,017.
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STOCKHOLM -- The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday that it appreciated Sweden setting up a commission to review the country's handling of the coronavirus crisis.
"Sweden has done something very important by starting an investigation to understand how the strategy worked. The WHO really appreciates this initiative, which other countries should also learn from," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet.
The Swedish government appointed a commission on June 30 to evaluate the country's coronavirus strategy and the roles of the government, public agencies and regional authorities in containing the spread of the novel coronavirus and its impact.
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MUMBAI -- At least 12 percent of Indian start-ups have shut operations while another 60 percent are operating with disruptions due to the unprecedented impact of COVID-19, according to a survey released by an industry body on Sunday.
As per the survey covering 250 start-ups, only 22 percent of the start-ups have cash reserves to meet the fixed cost expenses of their companies over the next three to six months.
Besides 250 start-ups, the survey jointly conducted by industry body FICCI and Indian Angel Network (IAN), also interviewed 61 incubators and investors, who indicated that investments will continue to be low over the next six months.
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DAMASCUS -- Syria on Sunday reported 20 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in the war-torn country, according to the state news agency SANA.
With the new infections, Syria has so far recorded 358 cases since March, with 126 recoveries and 13 deaths.
The infection toll is increasing in Syria on a daily basis as the government has eased the COVID-19 restrictions.
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PRETORIA -- The South African military's health personnel on Sunday continued to reinforce the medical profession with the deployment of their staff in Eastern Cape Province to help fight COVID-19.
A total of 35 military nurses, 12 doctors and five clinical associates from the South African Military Health Services (SAMHS) left Pretoria to the Eastern Cape for deployment on Sunday.
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ACCRA -- Ghana confirmed 697 more infections of the novel coronavirus on Sunday, bringing its total cases to 20,085, the latest data from the Ghana Health Service said.
The data reported 14, 870 recovered cases, as 540 new recoveries were confirmed. With five more deaths, the country's COVID-19 death toll rose to 122.
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RIYADH -- Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday additional facilities for foreigners who were affected by the COVID-19 lockdown.
Saudi Interior Ministry said in a statement that the new facilities aim to promote the government's efforts to minimize the economic impacts on them from the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry reported on Sunday 3,580 new COVID-19 infections, increasing the total number of confirmed cases to 209,509. The recoveries rose to 145,236 with 1,980 new ones, and death toll rose to 1,916 following 58 fatalities reported in the last 24 hours.
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KATHMANDU -- The Rasuwagadhi-Kerung border point, one of the key trade routes between Nepal and China, will reopen on Monday after closure for six months due to snowfall and COVID-19, a senior official of Rasuwagadhi Customs Office of Nepal said.
It is one of the two main border points for international trade between the two neighbors. The Rasuwagadhi-Kerung border crossing has remained closed since January, initially due to snowfall blocking the roads in the bordering region and later due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The Tatopani-Zhangmu, another border point, reopened in late March after closing in January.
"We have reached an understanding with the Chinese side to resume operation of this border point starting from Monday for the import of goods from China," Punya Bikram Khadka, chief customs officer at the Rasuwagadhi Customs Office, told Xinhua on Sunday. "There has been an understanding that 120 tonnes of goods will be delivered to Nepal every day initially."
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DOHA -- Qatar's Health Ministry on Sunday reported 616 new infections of COVID-19, increasing the total tally of the Gulf state to 99,799.
Meanwhile, 1,897 people recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 92,284, while five others died, raising the fatalities to 128, official Qatar News Agency quoted a statement by the ministry as saying.
A total of 381,434 persons in Qatar have undergone lab tests for COVID-19 so far, it added.
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BEIJING -- Beijing had reported single-digit COVID-19 cases for seven consecutive days by Saturday, local authorities said Sunday.
The number of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases reached a peak in Beijing on June 13 and 14 and then started declining in general, local officials told a press briefing.
From June 11 to July 4, the city reported 334 confirmed locally transmitted cases, 47 percent of whom are workers of the Xinfadi food market, according to the press conference. Enditem
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