COVID-19: Kurdistan Region’s total infections near 20,000 as it records another 569 cases

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Health on Thursday announced another 569 new coronavirus cases, nearing 20,000 total infections. The ministry also announced 13 fatalities as a result of COVID-19 complications in the past 24 hours amid a continued spike in daily infections in the region.

The ministry said in a statement that health workers had conducted 3,402 tests in the past 24 hours, 569 of which returned positive. Of the new cases, 323 were in Erbil province, 143 in Duhok province, while Sulaimani recorded 69 cases. Halabja province only had 11 cases.

The ministry also announced 13 deaths during the same period, raising the total death count to 699.

According to official data, the total number of infections since the start of the pandemic has reached 19,335, of which 10,821 patients have recovered.

Health officials concerned

In a press conference On Tuesday afternoon, the Kurdistan Region’s Health Minister Saman Barzinji warned that “if health measures are not observed,” more deaths would be recorded in the future.

The minister’s remarks came during a press conference in which he announced that the Kurdistan Region’s government would cover the costs of treatment for those patients who are admitted to private hospitals in case public hospitals cannot accommodate them.

The number of coronavirus cases in the Kurdistan Region continues to surge, following a renewed uptick in late May as the government relaxed lockdown measures – amid growing financial difficulties – and resumed trade with Iran, the original epicenter of the virus and from where the disease spread to regional states.

The region’s health minister also said they would work to increase daily testing to detect more coronavirus cases in the region.

Since the onset of the pandemic, the Kurdistan Region has conducted 234,747 tests.

Erbil province has recently recorded an increase in cases.

The government and local authorities have repeatedly called on the public to adhere to health guidelines that limit the spread of the virus.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany