COVID-19: Iraq records 45 deaths and 1,106 new infections
On Monday, Iraq’s Ministry of Health and Environment announced 45 new deaths and 1,106 new coronavirus infections in the country, as it reported the daily statistics for the disease.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – On Monday, Iraq’s Ministry of Health and Environment announced 45 new deaths and 1,106 new coronavirus infections in the country, as it reported the daily statistics for the disease.
The statement from the health ministry explained that out of 10,135 tests for the virus conducted over the past 24 hours, 1,106 samples came back positive. The Ministry also noted that there have been 1,150 cases of people who have recovered over the past day.
Some 380,005 coronavirus tests have been carried out in Iraq since the disease first appeared in the country in late February. The total number of coronavirus infections now stands at 21,315, according to the federal health ministry. That figure includes 652 deaths, 9,271 recoveries, with 11,392cases still active and 150 patients in intensive care units, the statement added.
Over the past week, Iraq has witnessed a significant increase in new coronavirus infections, often exceeding 1,000 cases daily.
Earlier on Monday, Iraq’s Parliamentary Crisis Cell said that government hospitals in Baghdad are no longer able to handle the increasing numbers of people infected with Covid-19. At the same time, it recommended several alternative quarantine areas in Baghdad, pointing out that there will be new procedures that will be adopted in the most affected areas.
"There are suggestions for alternative areas to use as substitutes, such as the Baghdad International Fair hall, the Ministry of Youth’s Athletic Medical Hospital, and the major supermarkets," Abbas Elewy, a member of the parliamentary crisis cell told local media.
Elewy also explained that it is planned for the field health teams to start an on-site testing campaign in areas most affected by the virus.
Iraq and the Kurdistan Region began to experience a dramatic increase in coronavirus infections, following the opening of the borders with Iran on May 18.
Read More: COVID-19 spikes again in Iran, with regional implications
Iran, which was the original epicenter of the virus in the Middle East, because of its close ties with China, where the disease originated, has failed to control the spread of the highly contagious virus, and it is now experiencing a resurgence.
On Sunday, for the first time in two months, Tehran reported that there had been over 100 deaths from the coronavirus in the previous 24 hours.
Editing by Laurie Mylroie