COVID-19: Kurdistan Region announces over 240 new infections in past 24 hours

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – On Friday, the Kurdistan Region’s Health Ministry announced that 243 new coronavirus cases had been discovered in the past 24 hours, along with ten fatalities.

A ministry statement explained that 2,168 tests had been conducted in that time period, with 243 coming back positive.

According to government figures, 195 of the new cases appeared in Erbil province; 27 were in Sulaimani province; and 21 cases were in Duhok province.

The ministry also announced 13 fatalities from the coronavirus across the Kurdistan Region. Six of the deaths occurred in Sulaimani province; four in Erbil province; and three in the Garmiyan administration.

For three days—from July 28 to July 30—the Kurdistan Region recorded over 300 daily infections, before the figure fell again into the 200s on Friday, according to official figures from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) that are recorded on a webpage dedicated to statistics about the coronavirus in the region.

However, it is too early to tell, if Friday’s drop in cases represents a trend downwards or is merely a random fluctuation. As is the case with Iraq, the Kurdistan Region began to experience an increasing number of cases, after the opening of border crossings with Iran in mid-May.

Read More: COVID-19 spikes again in Iran, with regional implications

Of the 4,233 coronavirus patients who remain under medical care in the Kurdistan Region, 2,728 are in Sulaymaniyah; 1,268 in Erbil; 175 in Duhok; and 62 in Halabja.

Since the first confirmed case of the coronavirus appeared in the Kurdistan Region in early March, total infections have reached 13,857 and deaths now number 541.

Airports in the Kurdistan Region are expected to re-open for commercial flights on August 1. Certain precautions, however, will be enforced.

“Passengers must visit the airport to take a COVID-19 medical test,” before flying out, and those flying into the Kurdistan Region’s airports from abroad will be tested inside the airport, as well," a statement issued earlier this week by he Kurdistan Region’s Health Ministry explained.

In addition, passengers must wear protective masks and gloves, before they arrive at the airport, the Health Ministry stated.

Read More: COVID-19: KRG reports 197 new infections, lays down flight rules

Since March 17, flights have been suspended throughout the Kurdistan Region, under orders from Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority, in a bid to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Flights to and from Iraq resumed on July 23, and the Kurdistan Region is set to follow suit shortly.

Editing by Laurie Mylroie