PHOTOS: Kurdistan Region's Erbil province during second day of COVID-19 lockdown

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Erbil’s COVID-19 Operations Room on Sunday added to existing restrictions by instituting a full lockdown for at least five days starting Tuesday.

According to an official statement from the Operations Room, the decision was implemented as “the virus is spreading widely and dangerously with disastrous effects for Erbil if current health guidelines remain in place as they are.”

The body ordered “a complete travel ban” from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. in all areas of Erbil province.

The statement noted, however, that “health workers, on-duty security forces, ambulances, diplomats, United Nations agencies, oil and gas companies, fire department, water and electricity services, municipal services of parks and gardens and cleaning companies of cities will be permitted to travel.”

The restrictions include a traffic ban between Erbil and other Kurdistan Region provinces, the Operations Room noted. 

“Journalists can cover news within the province of Erbil alone. They will not be permitted to enter the province of Erbil from other provinces to fulfill their duties,” it added.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany