What you should know about the UK COVID-19 variant in the Kurdistan Region

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region on Sunday confirmed the first cases of the United Kingdom (UK) COVID-19 variant in the autonomous part of Iraq.

The UK variant is a mutation of the novel coronavirus that was first detected in the county of Kent in southeast England in September 2020.

The variant has since spread widely across the UK. In late January, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the new variant “may be associated with a higher degree of mortality.”

How many cases confirmed?

As of Monday there were 19 confirmed cases of the UK-mutated COVID-19 in the Kurdistan Region, according to health authorities.

The confirmed cases have all been detected in the Kurdish capital so far.

On Sunday, the Region’s health authorities confirmed five cases of the variant. A day after, 14 new cases of the same version were detected, including seven in tourists, Erbil’s health chief told Kurdistan 24.

The infectees are aged between 15 and 45-years-old, and two are minors under the age of 18, Dlovan Mohammad said.

The source of infections has not yet been identified, the official said, adding that authorities are working to determine the source.

How does KRG respond?

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)’s COVID-19 task force is currently discussing ways to stem the spread of the new variant, according to the health minister who spoke to Kurdistan 24 before the committee meeting.  

“We are trying to make a balance between the restrictions and citizens’ livelihoods,” Health Minister Saman Barznji told Kurdistan 24 on Monday.

In a bid to prevent the spread of new COVID-19 variants the KRG Interior Ministry announced in December that it would halt travel to and from nine countries where the infection is present, including the UK, South Africa, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Iran, and Japan.

The emergence of the new variant in the Kurdistan Region comes after schools and academic institutions opened their doors in mid-February. 

Editing by Joanne Stocker-Kelly