COVID-19: KRG announces 7 deaths and 258 new infections in past 24 hours

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – On Monday, the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Health announced 7 deaths, 258 new infections, and 106 cases of recovery during the past 24 hours.

The statement from the region’s health ministry explained that over the past 24 hours, it had quarantined 74 individuals after they had interacted with infected people, making for a total of 1,816 individuals quarantined in the region in 24 different locations.

The statement also explained that the ministry had conducted 2,202 new tests, and 258 came back positive: 162 were from Erbil province; 50 from Sulaimani; 34 from Garmyan administration; 10 from Halabja province; and 2 from Dohuk.

The ministry stated that 106 people had left treatment centers after their test results came back negative for the virus. It also reported 7 deaths: 3 in Sulaimani; 2 in Erbil;  1 in the Garmyan administration; and 1 in the Rapareen administration.

The health ministry also explained that the number of people who have been infected since the outbreak of the pandemic in the region has reached 11,109: 7,421 in Sulaimani; 2,975 in Erbil; 370 in Halabja; and 343 from Duhok, leaving 4,646 active cases in the treatment centers.

The Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) anti-coronavirus committee is scheduled to meet tomorrow, Tuesday, with heads of provincial governments and administrative units to decide whether the partial curfew system and ban on movement between provinces in the Kurdistan Region should remain in place.

On Saturday, the province of Erbil decided to extend a partial curfew and a ban on movement between Erbil and other provinces in the Kurdistan Region and in Iraq until Tuesday, when the local government will issue new guidelines.

Tuesday’s meeting will discuss the new decisions on air travel proposed by the federal Iraqi government and the efforts necessary to implement the required preparations to maintain public health.

The KRG’s anti-coronavirus committee will also debate the prospect of reopening public facilities.

On Thursday, the Iraqi government’s High National Health and Safety Committee announced that it was lifting some of the current coronavirus restrictions, including allowing airports to reopen on July 23.

Read More: Iraq to reduce curfew measures, reopen airports on July 23

Editing by Laurie Mylroie