PHOTOS: Iraqi airports reopen amid continued spike in infections
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Three international airports reopened for commercial flights in central and southern Iraq as part of the government's easing of various restrictions aimed at controlling the spread of the coronavirus.
The airports that welcomed regular passengers for the first time in months are located in the nation's capital as well as the cities of Najaf and Basra.
Planes that took off from Baghdad International Airport on Thursday morning were headed for Lebanon and Turkey, according to AFP.
This comes on the same day that the Ministry of Health and Environment announced 2,361 new coronavirus infections and 80 fatalities across the country in the previous 24 hours.
Read More: COVID-19: Iraq resumes int'l flights as it reports over 2,300 new infections
The eased restrictions drew criticism from the Iraqi parliament’s anti-coronavirus committee, which charged on Saturday that it would significantly hinder efforts to contain the highly-contagious disease.
In mid-July, Iraq’s High National Health and Safety Committee announced that commercial flights would resume on July 23 as part of the nation’s eased restrictions on the coronavirus.
Read More: Iraq to reduce curfew measures, reopen airports on July 23
Travelers wishing to pass through Baghdad International Airport must now show they are COVID-19-free in order to be allowed to board as part of new regulations set by Iraq’s High National Health and Safety Committee as part of the reopening.
Per instructions issued by Iraqi health authorities, airports staff and workers must follow strict precautionary measures, including wearing protective masks and gloves at all times.
The eased restrictions drew criticism from the Iraqi parliament’s anti-coronavirus committee, which charged on Saturday that it would significantly hinder efforts to contain the highly-contagious disease.
“The decisions of the High Committee for Health and Safety regarding easing procedures, ending the curfew, and opening malls and airports are unscientific and premature,” said committee chair Jawad al-Musawi, warning that the progress made so far to stop the virus “will be lost.”
The coronavirus has infected more than 15.5 million people worldwide and killed over 633,000 according to government-reported data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The actual figures could be dramatically higher due to insufficient testing capabilities or underreporting.
Editing by John J. Catherine
