A health worker checks the temperature of Muslim devotees before enters a shrine during the last Friday of Eid Milad-un-Nabi, which marks the birth anniversary of the Prophet, at the Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar, India, Nov 6, 2020. (TAUSEEF MUSTAFA / AFP)

MUMBAI / SYDNEY / KABUL / BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN / BAGHDAD / JERUSALEM / AMMAN / WELLINGTON / RAMALLAH / MANILA - India recorded 50,356 new cases of the novel coronavirus, taking its total to 8.46 million, data from the health ministry showed on Saturday.

The number of coronavirus cases in Israel reached 318,402 on Friday with 539 new cases added

India has the world’s second-highest caseload behind the United States, but has seen a steady dip in cases since September, in spite of the start of the Hindu festival season.

Deaths rose by 577 in the last 24 hours, taking total mortalities to 125,562, the ministry said.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan on Saturday reported 58 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases after health authorities conducted 218 tests within a day, bringing the number of total cases to 42,033, the country's Ministry of Public Health confirmed.

The ministry has recorded 1,556 deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic in February, an increase of two within the past 24 hours.

People wearing face mask walk along Bourke Street Mall in Melbourne, Nov 6, 2020. (JAMES ROSS / AAP IMAGES VIA AP)

Australia

Australia will permit an additional 450 citizens to return to the country before the end of the year, slightly increasing a cap enforced to reduce risks of fresh coronavirus infections being imported, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Saturday.

Australia has since July capped the number of locals allowed to return home each week in an attempt to reduce the threat of spreading COVID-19.

Australia allows 6,315 citizens and permanent residents to return each week.

Australia’s Victoria state, which ended a three-month lockdown in its capital Melbourne last week, has recorded an eighth straight day with no new coronavirus cases.

The stringent restrictions, which shuttered hospitality and retail and included a nighttime curfew, have seen new COVID-19 infections drop from a daily peak of around 700 in early August. The economic and social impact of Melbourne’s second lockdown since the crisis began has been enormous, however.

Australia’s government estimates 1,200 jobs have been lost on average a day across Victoria state, while demand for mental health services has surged by more than 30 percent.

Brunei

Brunei reported no new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday with the national tally of cases standing at 148.

It marked the 16th consecutive day without new cases since Oct. 22, when the country recorded an imported case from Kuala Lumpur.

Iraq

The Iraqi Health Ministry reported on Friday 3,568 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the nationwide infections to 493,139.

The ministry also reported 69 new deaths and 3,060 more recovered cases in the country, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 11,244 and the total recoveries to 423,266.

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Israel

The number of coronavirus cases in Israel reached 318,402 on Friday with 539 new cases added, the Ministry of Health said.

The death toll rose to 2,644, with five new fatalities, while the number of patients in serious condition decreased from 331 to 324 out of 589 patients hospitalized.

Jordan

The tally of COVID-19 cases in Jordan exceeded 100,000 on Friday after 5,384 new infections were recorded.

The total COVID-19 cases in the kingdom rose to 101,248, while the fatalities from the virus climbed by 67 to 1,136, the Jordanian Health Ministry said in a statement.

Most of the new infections were recorded in the capital Amman with 2,274 cases.

In this Oct 16, 2020 photo, passengers wearing face masks arrive from New Zealand at Sydney International Airport. (DAVID GRAY / AFP)

New Zealand

New Zealand reported two new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, said the Ministry of Health in a statement.

Of the new cases, one was a worker working at the Auckland quarantine facility, while the other one was a historical case returning recently from London via Singapore, said the ministry.

The total number of active COVID-19 cases in New Zealand was now 43, while the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country currently reached 1,620, it is said.

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Palestine

A series of tight measures to combat COVID-19 came into force on Friday amid fear of a wider spread of the virus during winter in the Palestinian territories, the Palestinian government said.

The Ministry of Waqf and Religious Affairs said in a press statement that Muslim worshippers should wear face masks and abide by social distancing rules during prayers in mosques.

The Palestinian Health Ministry on Friday recorded 681 new COVID-19 cases and three more deaths in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, raising the total tally of infections to 69,181, including 583 deaths and 61,033 recoveries.

The Philippines

The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday reported 2,157 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection, bringing the total number in the country to 393,961.