Erbil lifts concrete barricades as no new COVID-19 cases reported for fourth consecutive day
As the number of COVID-19 infections decreases across the Kurdistan Region, the capital city of Erbil has lifted concrete barricades previously installed to restrict traffic in the city center to better curb the spread of the virus.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – As the number of COVID-19 infections decreases across the Kurdistan Region, the capital city of Erbil has lifted concrete barricades previously installed to restrict traffic in the city center to better curb the spread of the virus.
Barricade removals in Erbil’s city center are part of the eased restrictions following a decline in COVID-19 infections as the region witnessed a fourth consecutive day with no new reported cases.
The number of active cases has now fallen to 15 across the region, all of whom are under medical supervision, health officials said.
The complete tally of infections occurring since the highly contagious disease first broke out in the Kurdistan Region has remained at 391 for the past four days, according to the ministry, which says five people have succumbed to the disease so far.
Read More: KRG reports decline in active COVID-19 cases; Iraq’s total infections near 2,700
On May 1, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Interior extended curfew measures until May 10. It is unclear whether another extension will happen amid declining infections rates.
The KRG Health Ministry proposed to the Council of Ministries to allow the reopening of government offices on a phased basis, allowing 30 percent of their employees to return to work.
“It does not necessarily have to be a complete reopening of all government departments,” a spokesperson for the Health Ministry told Kurdistan 24, adding that only essential offices should reopen at the first stage.
The KRG governorates, administrative units, and districts are authorized to choose a suitable mechanism to resume work in government offices such as the length of working hours and attendance of employees, Erbil deputy governor Hemin Qadir told Kurdistan 24 on Sunday.
As government offices resume work, Erbil’s municipality teams have begun disinfection efforts in government directorates and offices in the province to mitigate any transmission risks.
“Today, around 15 [government] directorates are disinfected with anti-virus agents,” the head of the disinfection team told Kurdistan 24.
The regional Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs also announced on Friday that mosques would be allowed to reopen starting on May 11.
In late April, the representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Iraq applauded the KRG’s efforts to successfully combat the disease.
Read More: WHO congratulates Kurdistan Region on coronavirus response
“I want to congratulate the Kurdistan Region on their achievement in fighting the coronavirus,” the WHO representative said, noting that the rate of COVID-19 infections and fatalities in the autonomous Kurdish region “is very low compared to other Iraqi governorates.”
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany