Iraq COVID-19 tally touches 15,414

The Iraqi Health Ministry confirmed 1,146 new cases of COVID-19, raising the total number to 15,414 in the country.

It said on Wednesday that 34 more people died from the coronavirus during the day, bringing the death toll to 426, while 6,214 patients have recovered, Xinhua news agency reported.

The new cases were detected after 7,835 testing kits were used across the country during the past 24 hours, out of 330,526 tests carried out since the outbreak of the disease in Iraq.

Meanwhile, Sayf al-Badr, spokesman of the Health Ministry, said in a statement that Iraq is still within the danger zone and the number of infections with coronavirus may further increase.

“There are still social gatherings such as weddings and funerals being held in some neighbourhoods in Baghdad like Sadr City and al-Hurriyah despite the restriction measures,” al-Badr said.

On 6 June, the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety, headed by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, took several measures including the continuation of the full curfew until 13 June, and then replacing it with a partial curfew on 14 June.

The committee also announced to prevent the movement between provinces, except for the health, security and public service personnel, and ordered security forces to tighten the control of the implementation of health restrictions.

China has been helping Iraq with the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

From 7 March to 26 April, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad.

China also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq.