Iraq warns of new COVID-19 wave amid rising infections

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraq is expecting a new wave of coronavirus infections as the number of daily cases of contagion rises, the Iraqi Ministry of Health announced on Friday. 

On Thursday, Iraq recorded 400 new cases in 24 hours, according to daily figures released by the ministry. This is a sharp increase from the fewer than 200 cases recorded daily hitherto. 

Health authorities are expecting a “new wave” of disease to hit the country as China and other Middle East countries are also recording significant increases in the number of infections, the ministry’s spokesperson Saif Al-Badr told Iraqi News Agency. 

The official said preventive measures against the pandemic are not strictly followed across the country, contributing to the rapid rise in infections. 

About 10 million people in Iraq, which has a population of 41 million, have received vaccination against the virus. Two million Iraqis were infected, and 25,000 have died since the pandemic began in early 2020.

It is believed the sub-variants of Omicron are responsible for the latest rise in infections in many countries. 

While Iraq continues to record hundreds of COVID-19 infections daily, only a tiny number result in fatalities.