PHOTOS: Desolate resort town outside Erbil during coronavirus lockdown
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The once-bustling streets of a popular resort town in the Kurdistan Region’s province of Erbil are virtually empty amid a regionwide curfew to prevent the further spread of the deadly and highly-contagious coronavirus.
The emptiness that pervades the scenic destination spot of Shaqlawa, located in the mountains about 35 kilometers northeast of Erbil, is eerily silent to anyone familiar with the throngs of families that crowd there each spring.
It is a prime example of how the tourism sector, both in the Kurdistan Region and throughout the world, has been hurt by the COVID-19 outbreak since it was first reported by Chinese authorities in late 2019.
As governments continue to take steps to limit the spread of infections that have swept through over 190 countries, the number of confirmed cases and deaths due to the virus has doubled every week recently. Now, the total reported infections number nearly 600,000 and deaths have topped 27,000.
The Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Health announced on Friday in its latest update on the number of new cases, bringing the tally so far to 113, including two deaths, and 39 that have recovered.
Related Article: Kurdistan Region confirms 10 new COVID-19 cases; total reaches 113
The national total for Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region, is 458, although it has been rising steadily and Saturday's new numbers have not been announced yet.
The KRG enacted a series of precautionary measures beginning in late February as COVID-19 cases were soaring in neighboring Iran—from where a large number of tourists come to the autonomous region every year.
The measures include closing schools, declaring an extended public holiday for government employees, canceling all religious services and other public gatherings, and curfews across the region. The regional interior minister has emphasized that curfews “will be extended if needed.”
Shaqlawa is among the many areas in the Kurdistan Region that are extremely popular with tourists, especially during extended holidays such as the Kurdish New Year of Newroz in late March, when visitors flock to the region to take part in the festivities.
Tourism in Kurdistan has been growing in recent years, with roughly 243,000 visiting in just a ten-day period for Newroz in 2019.
Related Article: Tourism to Kurdistan on Newroz holiday up 4 percent from last year
This year, however, Erbil marked Newroz with a single bonfire at the city’s historic citadel in the presence of a limited audience made up of government officials and without the signature crowds celebrating the event.
Related Article: Erbil marks Newroz with single bonfire and no public crowds
Editing by John J. Catherine