As infections fall, Kurdistan PM stresses COVID-19 restrictions still crucial

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani warned on Wednesday that the coronavirus remains a serious danger and called on the public to continue to abide by precautionary measures now still in place to prevent new outbreaks as the number of hospitalized patients falls by the day.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani warned on Wednesday that the coronavirus remains a serious danger and called on the public to continue to abide by precautionary measures now still in place to prevent new outbreaks as the number of hospitalized patients falls by the day.

The comments came during a Council of Ministers videoconference meeting that was chaired by Barzani, according to a statement published by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

The prime minister began the meeting by thanking the citizens of the Kurdistan Region for their commitment to following curfews and other health restrictions and suggestions of the government. Despite the relative success that the KRG has had in containing the virus, he continued, “The risks of the coronavirus have not ended, and citizens must continue to adhere” to the emergency rules.

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As of Wednesday, the regional Health Ministry reports that, for the fifth day in a row, there have been no new cases across the autonomous region, with the number of confirmed cases still at 337 and the number of remaining active cases has fallen to 29.

The KRG was one of the world's governments that, along with South Korea and Germany, took early and decisive action to block the spread of COVID-19, which appears to have been a key factor in the numbers who have been infected, when compared to nations like neighbouring Iran. From early March, the KRG began enforcing a strict policy of social distancing and ordered the closure of restaurants, coffee shops, and other entertainment and sports venues.

In mid-March, the government also imposed a curfew it has since expanded and extended multiple times. Authorities also suspended all religious services, shuttering doors to mosques, churches, and other places of worship.

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As the holy month of Ramadan approaches, Muslim worshippers have awaited the reopening of mosques.

During Wednesday's meeting, the cabinet affirmed that “gradual stages of normalizing public life would continue and, as of today, the provincial and local administrations have taken positive steps” to ensure this, while still observing preventative measures.

The meeting also congratulated Muslims in the Kurdistan Region on Ramadan's approach—set to begin on April 24, as per a KRG announcement on Wednesday. It agreed, though, that “mosques, churches, temples and all places of worship would remain closed, as is the case for universities, schools and other tutoring centers, for the sake of the safety of citizens.”

Editing by John J. Catherine