Kurdistan Region to close places of worship to curb spread of COVID-19

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region’s committee against coronavirus announced Wednesday the closure of all religious places of worship from April 1-10, asking clerics to cooperate in the face of rising COVID-19 infections.

A statement from the Supreme Committee to Confront Coronavirus said, in reference to their meetings on March 30 and due to the high stakes of infection and death in the Kurdistan Region, the committee decided to close all religious places. 

The decision affects mosques, memorials, churches, temples, and religious monsestaries from Thursday, April 1 until the 10th, before the start of the Ramadan month.

No religious and social event and gatherings are allowed inside or outside those religious places during that period, such as academic circles and other places, the committee added, calling on Muslim clerics and followers of other religions to carry out their duties in order to protect the health and life of citizens.

On Tuesday the Supreme Committee to Combat Coronavirus announced the suspension of government departments and institutions on Thursdays, and the stopping of movement with the rest of Iraq’s provinces three days a week, in an attempt to reduce the spread of the second wave of the pandemic.

Read More: Kurdistan bans movement with the rest of Iraq three days a week, halts government work on Thursdays

The region’s Health Ministry on Wednesday announced 981 new infections, and 10 deaths due recorded over the previous 24 hours, raising the total number of infections in the region to 122,160, including 3,670 deaths since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

Editing by Joanne Stocker-Kelly