AMMAN — The number of COVID-19 cases in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region crossed 1,514,375 on Wednesday.

Countries in the Gulf account for 47 percent of all regional cases, while Iran comprises 24 percent of all Mena infections.

Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Yemen and Syria collectively make up the remaining 29 percent of cases in the Mena region.

Schools are preparing to reopen in parts of the Mena region.

Jordan on Tuesday confirmed that schools would open as scheduled on 1 Sept. 1.

In areas without infections or isolation measures and where schools meet the requirement of allocating 1 square metre for each student inside the classroom and 2 sq m outside, education delivery will continue as usual.

In schools that cannot meet the social distancing criteria, a mixture of in-person and distance education will be implemented, with half the class attending school on certain days while the other half receives distance education, and vice versa.

Schools will not open in isolated and locked-down neighborhoods, and distance education will be used. Furthermore, if an infection occurs in a school, it will be closed and must resort to distance education.

Jordan has confirmed 1,716 cases of COVID-19 to date, with 1,344 recoveries and 14 deaths.

Kuwait also confirmed it would adopt distance learning for the upcoming semester.

Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Saud Al-Harbi said the decision was applicable to all public and private schools, and is subject to revision in November. — Agencies