Iraq reports 88 new COVID-19 cases, none in Kurdistan; curfews extended

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi Health Ministry on Sunday said it had confirmed 88 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours. The authorities in the Kurdistan Region, meanwhile, claimed there had been no new cases over the same period.

Health workers have conducted over 127,000 tests across Iraq, while their counterparts in the Kurdistan Region have carried out more than 53,000 tests. The reported total in Iraq is at 2,767 infections, while the number has apparently stayed the same in the Kurdistan Region, 391, over the past five days.

Most of the new confirmed infections in Iraq, 66, came from Baghdad province. The rest were as follows: eleven in Maysan, eight in Basra, two in Dhi Qar, one in Diyala.

Active cases have increased across the country, currently standing at over 900. But they have continued to witness an apparent fall in the Kurdistan Region over the past five days, now at 15 active cases.

There have been 109 deaths due to the disease nationally, the federal ministry said in a statement. Five of those are in the Kurdistan Region, according to the regional Health Ministry.

Ongoing Threat

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) continues to ease restrictions as the number of active cases has decreased, but top officials have repeatedly stated the highly contagious disease remains a serious threat and called on the public to adhere to precautionary measures.

On Sunday, the Interior Ministry extended an order on the restriction of movement between different provinces in the Kurdistan Region until midnight on May 18. Those seeking to move among these areas can apply for a travel document on a dedicated website. The curfew that began in mid-March appears to have ended for now.

Local authorities can decide what businesses across the region can open, the ministry said in a statement outlining the latest measures.

Border crossings would stay closed to civilian travel, except for Ibrahim Khalil, Haji Omaran, and Bashmakh for citizens of the Kurdistan Region to return from Turkey and Iran. The hours of operation are between 8 a.m. and 12 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays. All returnees will be subject to mandatory coronavirus testing.

Iraqi authorities, however, have extended a 12-hour curfew that starts at 5 p.m. daily, indefinitely, a federal committee dedicated with the task of curbing the spread of the disease said on Sunday. On Eid al-Fitr, the order will be in place throughout the day.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany