Iraq 'still in first wave' as health ministry records over 4,600 new COVID-19 cases, 59 deaths

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi Ministry of Health and Environment on Wednesday announced over 4,600 new cases of coronavirus along with 59 death in the past 24 hours.

The Ministry of Health and Environment said in a statement that it had completed 22,274 tests over the previous 24 hours, marking 2,266,355 tests carried out since the beginning of the outbreak in Iraq in February.

According to official figures, the total number of patients that have contracted the coronavirus in Iraq to date has surpassed 362,000, with just over 9,000 dead.

Health officials warned the general public that the only alternative to another strict lockdown—since new daily cases routinely number in the mid thousands—is their commitment to basic preventive measures such as social distancing and wearing face masks.

“Citizens in working-class neighborhoods roam freely and throw parties without supervision or accountability,” the health ministry said in a separate statement, adding that “the curfew was applied and effective in Iraq at the beginning of the coronavirus crisis.”

The ministry’s Director of Public Health, Riyadh al-Halfi, said Iraq “has not yet reached its peak of coronavirus infections” and the country is still in the initial wave of the epidemic.

Halfi also explained that the ministry is currently preparing a plan to accommodate hospitals so they can handle an increase in the number of infections by enhancing clinical capacity and preparing medical supplies and health staff to “face any emergency.”

“The epidemiological situation is witnessing a significant increase in the number of infections day after day and there is no solution except for a vaccine. The treatment currently available does not work to limit the spread of the epidemic,” Halfi added.

Wednesday’s infection and fatality figures reported by the Iraqi government do not include the most recent developments in the autonomous Kurdistan Region, which has its own health ministry and typically announces results later in the day. As such, Kurdistan’s figures are usually added to the following day’s national tally.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany