COVID-19: Iraq reports new all-time high daily cases of over 2,800

Iraqi health workers reportedly conducted over 15,000 tests over the past 24 hours.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – On Saturday, Iraq’s Ministry of Health and Environment announced 2,862 new coronavirus infections, a record jump in the number of daily cases, as well as 2,049 recoveries.

The health ministry said in its daily statement that health workers had conducted 15,788 tests over the past 24 hours, raising the total to 895,187 such tests since the start of the outbreak in Iraq in late February.

The ministry also pointed out that over the same period, 72 patients died due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

The statement outlined the country had now reached 107,573 confirmed cases, of which 73,317 have recovered, about 68 percent of the total number of infections. There have also reportedly been 4,284 deaths due to the disease, while 29,972 cases remain active.

The ministry noted that 449 patients are currently under intensive care.

On Friday, the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers announced the arrival of mobile healthcare units and medical supplies from Qatar and Jordan.

Health officials have expressed fears that the Iraqi healthcare system is on the brink as the number of daily infections began to spike in late May.

On Thursday, three of Iraq’s international airports reopened for commercial travel, as the government moves to ease further restrictions that limited the spread of the virus.

Related Article: PHOTOS: Iraqi airports reopen amid continued spike in infections

 

The Kurdistan Region has not yet opened its two airports, but authorities have said they plan to do so on August 1.

The coronavirus has infected over 16 million people worldwide and killed more than 643,000, 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 Khrush Najari