COVID-19: Iraq’s fatalities exceed 9,000, as infections top 350,000

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi Ministry of Health and Environment, on Monday announced 4,116 new coronavirus infections and 63 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours.

The health ministry in its daily statement pointed out that it had conducted 22,054 tests in the last 24 hours, making for a total of 2,220,913 tests carried out since the beginning of the outbreak in Iraq.

According to the health figures, the total number of infections in Iraq crossed 350,000, including about 280,000 recoveries, and just over 9,000 deaths.

The Ministry of Health confirmed, on Monday, that the only alternative to another lockdown, as daily cases continue to be in the thousands, is citizens' awareness and commitment to preventive measures.

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

The ministry explained, "the lifting of the curfew came because of the citizens' lack of commitment to preventive measures."

The ministry also pointed out that it has secured 8 million two-dose coronavirus vaccines as a first batch, indicating that they will be prepared by the Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunisation (GAVI).

The Director of Public Health at the Ministry of Health, Riyadh Al-Halfi, said in a statement, that Iraq has not yet reached the peak of coronavirus infections and that it is still in the first wave of the epidemic.

Halfi also explained that at this point the ministry is preparing a plan to accommodate hospitals for an increase in the number of infections by enhancing the 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, despite the treatment currently available, but it does not work to limit the spread of the epidemic,” Halfi added.

Editing by Khrush Najari