Politics

COVID-19: Iraq records 2,349 cases; WHO adds to warnings of upcoming spike

Iraqi Ministry of Health and Environment on Wednesday announced 2,349 new coronavirus cases and 43 deaths as the main office of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Middle Eastern nation warned the public that it should brace for spiking numbers of infections in the coming months.

Mustafa Shilani 2020/11/18 15:16

middle east Iraq COVID-19 Baghdad WHO Health Coronavirus

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi Ministry of Health and Environment on Wednesday announced 2,349 new coronavirus cases and 43 deaths as the main office of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Middle Eastern nation warned the public that it should brace for spiking numbers of infections in the coming months.

The ministry in a statement mentioned that it had completed 17,916 tests during the previous 24 hours, making a total of over three million given since the first case was confirmed in Iraq in February.

Earlier in the day, the WHO in Iraq said that a significant increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the country was likely with the arrival of winter and a decrease in average temperature.

In a joint press conference held by Adham Ismail, the head of the WHO office in Baghdad, with Duhok province’s Director of Health Nizar Ismat on the closing ceremony of an educational course held in Dohuk's displacement camps.

"Duhok province has gone through a difficult phase after increasing the numbers of the infections, but the situation has started to improve thanks to medical services, the opening of new hospitals, and awareness-raising campaigns," said Ismail, but added that "numbers are expected to increase due to lower temperatures."

He vowed that the WHO would continue its efforts to raise awareness, provide medical services, and help citizens until the crisis is over.

On Tuesday, the Iraqi health ministry also said that it expected an increase in the rate of infections with the arrival of winter and directed that health inspectors step up field visits to public places and immediately close any facilities that are found to be in non-compliance with government instructions and preventive measures.

According to the latest health figures in Iraq, the total number of infections reached so far is 526,852 and nearly 12,000 deaths.

Also on Wednesday, the governor of the autonomous Kurdistan Region's capital province of Erbil died after testing positive for the disease some four weeks earlier.

Editing by John J. Catherine