Kurdistan Region confirms 3 new coronavirus cases, totaling 13

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region's Health Ministry on Sunday reported three new coronavirus cases, two in Sulaimani, and one in Erbil Province, totaling 13 confirmed infections in the region.

A ministry statement indicated that at the moment, the authorities are holding 1,128 individuals in quarantine zones following their return to Kurdistan Region. Dedicated medical officers are monitoring the people in 31 different facilities. The ministry also said that 1790 individuals had returned home after spending the required 14 days in quarantine.

"In the last 24 hours, 56 individuals suspected of being infected with the coronavirus were tested," the statement said. "The results of three of them came back positive of carrying of the virus."

The statement explained that the Erbil case is of a 52-year-old woman who returned from Iran. She is also the sister of one of the confirmed cases in Erbil.

The Erbil case and one of those in Sulaimani were of two people who had been quarantined.

"There are 13 cases of confirmed coronavirus in Kurdistan Region, among them one dead, one has completely healed, and the rest are stable," the statement added.

The number of affected rises to 65 throughout Iraq, of which six have died so far, two in Baghdad and one in Sulaimani, one in Karbala, another in Maysan, and one in Babil governorate.

 As the number of cases continues to increase in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has enacted a list of precautionary measures, including shutting down all women's salons, beauty centers, and bars that offer alcohol, starting on Sunday. The authorities have requested citizens and all sides to abide by the regulations of the health ministry.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak an international health emergency. COVID-19, as it is officially called, has spread to over 80 countries, including China – where it originated – the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Russia, Singapore, and India.

According to the most recent WHO figures, there are over 109,823 confirmed cases of coronavirus all around the world, over 80,000 of which are in mainland China. So far, over 3,800 people have died the virus.

Editing by Kosar Nawzad