COVID-19: Kurdistan Region confirms record of 201 new cases; 2 deaths

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Health Ministry announced on Wednesday another record number of daily COVID-19 infections and one fatality in the previous 24 hours.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - The number of new coronavirus cases in the Kurdistan Regional broke the previous daily record yet again on Wednesday with a total of 201.

A regional Health Ministry ministry statement initially announced that, out of the 2,466 tests conducted for the highly-contagious virus across the region, 171 came back positive in the previous 24 hours. As the evening hours rolled on, an additional 30 were added to the tally on the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) official website. 

Out of the new infections in the Kurdistan Region, Sulaimani province recorded the highest with new 131 cases in a single day, 60 in Erbil, and five in both Duhok and Halabja. 

Kurdistan Parliament suspends sessions

On Wednesday, the Kurdistan Region’s parliament issued a statement in which it revealed that “some” positive cases had come back among staff members as well as one lawmaker.

“In light of the positive coronavirus cases, the leadership is closing parliament for two weeks,” read the statement, which “urged the untested members of parliament” to be evaluated “as soon as possible.”

Health authorities' warnings

On Tuesday, KRG Health Minister Saman Barzjinji held a meeting with public health experts and doctors throughout the Kurdistan Region to discuss a new plan to combat the steadily mounting numbers.

In a press conference held following the meeting, the minister said, “Seventy-five percent of the confirmed cases belong to the second peak,” adding, “It is not too late yet to prevent further spreading of the virus.”

He also insisted that residents have to protect themselves from the virus by strictly adhering to precautionary measures enacted by the KRG, stressing that frequent hand washing and wearing masks are simple actions, but ones that can have a great impact on reducing the risk of infection.

On Wednesday, in response to 26 new local COVID-19 cases, the mayor of Erbil’s Koya district announced a new curfew to be enforced at checkpoints surrounding the district and inside the main market.

A total of 1,667 cases have been confirmed since the disease first spread into the Kurdistan Region's borders, including 30 deaths, 546 recoveries, and 1,091 active cases remaining. 

Since the autonomous region typically announces its results later in the day than Iraq's federal health ministry in Baghdad, Kurdistan's numbers are usually added to the following day's national tally. 

Editing by John J. Catherine