Kurdistan Region recorded ‘zero’ COVID-19 deaths in the past month: Health ministry

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Over a month has passed since the Kurdistan Region last recorded any deaths from COVID-19, the health ministry announced on Wednesday.

The COVID-19 fatality rate has been reduced to “zero,” Health Minister Saman Barzinji announced in a statement.

It has also been a while since the Region recorded an average of 50 cases of COVID-19 per day, daily statements from the ministry indicated. 

The Kurdistan Region’s response to COVID-19 has been at the level of “advanced nations” and a “successful example” in fighting the pandemic, the Barzinji said. 

The support and dedication of Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and the cooperation of several public agencies are the “main factors” behind this success, the minister added.

He also extended his appreciation to health professionals and frontline workers who responded to the virus. 

The Kurdistan Region began implementing strict measures against the pandemic as early as February 2020 before it detected any cases of the contagious virus. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations have hailed the measures that the Kurdistan Region has taken in the fight against the pandemic. 

Since early 2020, the Kurdistan Region has reported more than 438,000 cases of COVID-19, out of which 7,450 have proven fatal. 

The figures are of the public laboratories that directly report to the ministry. On the other hand, private clinics do not refer their statistics to the government. 

According to figures from the Iraqi health ministry, only about 1.5 million people are vaccinated in the Kurdistan Region, which has a population of about six million.