Kurdistan extends coronavirus curfew; Minister says it will be lifted gradually

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – As authorities issued an extension on a regionwide curfew order, Kurdistan Region Health Minister Saman Barzinjy said on Thursday said that it would be lifted in phases and warned that life would not be as it was before the outbreak of the new coronavirus, which remains a significant public health threat.

As per the latest figures from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), there are only 23 active cases of the highly-contagious disease left in the region, which has reported a total of 339 infections including four deaths.

While this number continues to decline, senior officials have stressed that the virus remains a serious danger, warning that new outbreaks are still a possibility if the public should fail to observe measures to limit transmission. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is working to slowly ease the restriction put in place since early March to curb the spread of the disease.

“The preventative measures came into place in a phased manner, and, similarly, the [KRG] has decided to normalize the situation in stages,” Barzinjy told reporters in Erbil. He stressed that the disease remains a danger both regionally and globally, since, “We are not isolated from the world and neighboring countries.”

“We still have [coronavirus] patients in hospitals, and we still have citizens in quarantine,” he added. “Victory requires time,” he continued and said he hopes that the public does not downplay the risks that remain.

Close to 1,500 people who have returned to the Kurdistan Region from abroad are under quarantine, where they remain for two weeks and undergo testing to ensure they aren't carrying the disease before returning to their homes.

The cautiously optimistic steps to ease the lockdown might be subject to reevaluation, depending on the results of more coronavirus testing of suspected or asymptomatic carriers. Between Saturday and Wednesday, the KRG had reported no new confirmed cases of the disease.

Read More: Kurdistan reports only 25 active coronavirus cases, 5 days with no new infections

But, the local authorities of Duhok province said Thursday one new test had come back as positive, breaking a five-day streak of a lack of confirmed infections. The news came as the Interior Ministry announced an extension to the curfew in place across the region.

State of Curfew

The restriction on movement is limited to 6 pm until midnight, according to a ministry statement, with only the vehicles being used by on-duty health teams and security forces allowed travel during the period. Businesses providing essential services will be allowed to open from midnight until 6 pm, as per the new directive.

Bread shops are allowed to operate from midnight until 4 am to accommodate the needs of the public for the holy month of Ramadan, which is due to begin Friday.

“All places where large numbers of people gather will remain closed,” Erbil deputy governor Hemin Qadir told Kurdistan 24 on Thursday, pointing to businesses such as cafeterias, shopping malls, large markets, and gyms. The KRG has previously stated that places of worship, including mosques, would remain closed during Ramadan.

The Interior Ministry order also stipulated that travel among districts, provinces, and administrative units would still require an official document which citizens can obtain by using an online service the ministry launched earlier in the week.

Read More: KRG offers online service to facilitate regional travel amid lockdown

All border crossings across the region and the two international airports will remain closed to travellers who do not present an official permit issued by the Interior Ministry. Since the lockdown began, some land ports have remained open to trade, mainly fresh produce imports from neighboring countries.

The KRG has also ordered local jurisdictions to facilitate the travel of farmers who need to work their lands.

Editing by John J. Catherine