COVID-19: Kurdistan Region records 11 deaths, 324 new cases
On Monday, the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Health announced 11 more deaths and 324 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – On Monday, the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Health announced 11 more deaths and 324 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours.
The daily statement of the Ministry of Health of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said that over the previous day, 14 individuals had been added to those quarantined, making for a total of 925 individuals in such isolation in 21 different locations.
In addition, it stated that 2,798 coronavirus tests had been carried out in the same period.
The statement also noted the recoveries from the disease, with 97 of them in the past 24 hours. Of that total, 84 were in Erbil province, nine in Duhok and four in Halabja. Deaths from the virus over the past 24 hours included six in Erbil province and five in Sulaimani.
The health ministry’s statement explained that the total number of people infected with the coronavirus, since it first appeared in the region had reached 7,639. There have been 5,466 infections in Sulaimani province and 1,765 in Erbil. Halabja recorded 205 cases, while Duhok had 203.
The ministry also noted that there have been a total of 2,789 cases of recovery. In Sulaimani, there were 1,366;1,149 were in Erbil; 164 in Duhok; and 110 in Halabja. A total of 4,587 active cases remain under medical treatment.
The Deputy Director-General of the Sulaimani health directorate, Herish Salim, described the difficult circumstances that health workers in the province face.
“More than 400 health staff have been infected with the virus,” he told Kurdistan 24. “But to avoid a shortage of personnel, we are coming back to work immediately after our initial recovery, myself included.”
Salim explained that the rate of infection among health staff is increasing “especially for those in constant contact with the patients, and especially with those in critical condition who need three health personnel to monitor them.”
He also said the health administration is considering different options to address the issue of the staffing shortage that the coronavirus is creating.
In Sulaimani province, authorities decided on Friday that a shutdown of government institutions--excluding the security, health, and service sectors--will remain in effect until July 10, due to the high number of new infections in the province.
Editing by Laurie Mylroie