Health

Iraq issues warning ahead of New Year's celebrations as Omicron cases surge globally

The Iraqi government highlighted "the seriousness" of the ongoing worldwide public health emergency, exacerbated by "the rapid spread" of the Omicron variant.

Kurdistan 24 2021/12/24 18:43

Health workers at a COVID-19 clinic. (Photo: Archive)

Iraq

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Ahead of New Year's celebrations, the Iraqi Health Ministry on Friday reiterated its calls on the public to follow health and safety guidelines that limit the spread of the coronavirus as cases of the hyper-contagious Omicron variant surge globally.

The ministry, in a statement, highlighted "the seriousness" of the ongoing worldwide health emergency, exacerbated by "the rapid spread" of the Omicron strand of the virus.

The Iraqi ministry also called on the public to get vaccinated and adhere to preventive measures, including wearing masks and social distancing, when partaking in New Year's celebrations.

The ministry also affirmed that clubs, parks, celebration halls, restaurants, and cafes must follow the government's health guidelines, including providing masks and sterilizers to visitors, setting capacity limits to maintain physical distancing, and prohibiting entry to unvaccinated individuals.

"The vaccine is the most effective way" to prevent a fresh surge in COVID-19 cases in Iraq, the health ministry said, adding that the country has enough vaccines doses to innoculate all eligible groups. It also stressed that unvaccinated individuals should get the jabs at the earliest "to protect themselves and society from danger."

On Friday, the Iraqi Health Ministry reported 322 new COVID-19 cases and seven deaths related to the infection. The total number of reported cases in the country now stands at close to 2.1 million, including over 24 thousand fatalities.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said on Wednesday it is monitoring several suspected Omicron cases. The region's Health Ministry on Friday reported 112 new COVID-19 cases and three deaths due to the disease, raising the all-time number of infections to 380,129, including 7,086 deaths and 370,794 recoveries.