COVID-19: Both Iraq, Kurdistan Region witness new spike during Ramadan
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi Health Ministry on Wednesday announced 96 new COVID-19 cases and three fatalities, excluding the Kurdistan Region, in its 24-hour update report on the highly infectious disease. Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) reported 18 confirmed cases on the same day.
Per the Iraqi Health Ministry report, 61 confirmed cases were found in Baghdad, 24 in Basra, three in Dhi Qar, two in Najaf, two in Wasit, while Karbala, Kirkuk, Babil, and Salahuddin each reported one case. The ministry also announced three new COVID-19-related deaths in the Iraqi provinces.
On Tuesday, the Iraqi Council of Ministers imposed a countrywide curfew during the normally bustling and revelrous upcoming Eid holiday after a sustained uptick in new coronavirus cases.
Read More: COVID-19 Updates: Iraq announces Eid curfew amid 57 new cases, 10 in Kurdistan
The regional health ministry said out of a total of 1,010 coronavirus tests, 18 new cases returned positive on Wednesday over the previous 24 hours. KRG health workers have conducted 63,282 coronavirus examinations since the disease first emerged, the ministry noted in a statement.
The new confirmed cases increased the total tally of COVID-19 in the region to 442, including five deaths, while 383 patients have recovered.
On Monday, the KRG Ministry of Interior announced that a complete lockdown would be enforced during Ramadan’s Eid al-Fitr celebrations to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19.
Read More: Kurdistan Region announces complete lockdown during Eid al-Fitr celebrations
Eid al-Fitr is expected to be observed on May 24, depending on the moon sighting that confirms the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan. The Islamic lunar calendar depends on moon cycles that are either 29 or 30 days.
In recent years, Eid holidays have led to an influx of visitors to the Kurdistan Region from the rest of Iraq and neighboring Iran who come to enjoy its cities or scenic countryside.
Such holidays have become a major part of the region’s tourism economy, now already in the midst of a crisis as a result of budget disputes with the federal government and the far-reaching effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The total number of confirmed infections in Iraq, including the autonomous Kurdish region, is now 3,724. This number includes 134 deaths and 2,438 recoveries.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany