As new COVID-19 strain spreads and daily cases top 500, Kurdistan Region urges citizens to take precautions

A health care worker tests a suspected COVID-19 patient in the Kurdistan Region's Sulaimani province. (Photo: AFP)
A health care worker tests a suspected COVID-19 patient in the Kurdistan Region's Sulaimani province. (Photo: AFP)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Amid a significant spike in daily coronavirus cases, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) called on residents of the autonomous region to follow health measures such as masking and distancing to stem the tide of new patients.

Earlier on Thursday, the regional Ministry of Health announced 512 new infections and two deaths it had confirmed over the previous 24 hours.

According to a statement, 195 of the new cases were in Erbil province, 139 in Sulaimani, and 178 in Duhok, bringing the total tally to date in the region to 114,510 cases and 3,579 deaths. 

Health Minister Saman Barznji warned on Wednesday that a new strain of coronavirus is spreading rapidly and is expected to increase further in the coming days.

He urged the public to adhere to "the most important preventive measures", which include wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and avoiding any and all crowds. 

At the same time, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani strongly urged the public to follow all recommended precautions, since “COVID-19 infections are again on the rise.”

“We must all work together to contain this dangerous new strain. Protect yourselves and your loved ones, wear your masks, and follow public health guidelines,” Barzani added.

Also on Thursday, a health ministry spokesperson said that the situation is taking a turn for worse,telling Kurdistan 24 that the conditions are bad and hospitals are again starting to fill to capacity with patients suffering from the highly-contagious virus, blaming lax adherence to health precautions for the spike.

The novel coronavirus has infected more than 121 million people worldwide and killed nearly 2.7 million, according to Johns Hopkins University’s database. The actual figures could be dramatically higher due to insufficient testing capabilities or underreporting.

Editing by John J. Catherine