COVID-19: With 600 new cases, total infections surpass 30,000 in Kurdistan Region

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The total count of coronavirus infections so far confirmed in the Kurdistan Region surpassed 30,000 on Thursday following an announcement by health authorities that added just over 600 new cases.

The autonomous region's Ministry of Health said in a statement that it had conducted 4,698 tests across the region over the past 24 hours, 609 of which had returned positive. Erbil province had 267 new infections, while Duhok had 204, 89 were in Sulaimani, and 28 in Halabja.

The statement added that 23 patients had died during the same period: nine in Erbil, eight in Duhok, and four in Sulaimani.

As of today, the regional ministry has reported 30,535 cases across the Kurdistan Region. Of these, 1,148 have died, 10,009 are still receiving treatment in hospitals and medical clinics, and 19,378 have been designated as having recovered.

It is important to note that a patient classified as a "recovery" means only that a patient is no longer being actively treated by health professionals, not that they are in fact fully recovered. There is still much that is unknown about the longterm effects of the coronavirus and many patients who have contracted the disease appear to have longlasting or permanent damage, including those who had experienced mild symptoms or none at all.  

Recent surges in Kurdistan Region

The Kurdistan Region has recently witnessed surges in coronavirus cases following the easing of restrictions previously imposed to stem the spread of the virus and the reopening of borders with Iran for trade. Health authorities have warned of even higher numbers on multiple occasions if the public fails to strictly adhere to precautionary measures mandated or suggested by authorities.

In a bid to mitigate further spread of COVID-19 as a new academic year approaches in the region, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) decided to hold classes online for the first half of the 2020-2021 academic year.

Read More: Kurdistan Region applies distance learning for first half of new academic year

The coronavirus has infected over 26 million people worldwide and killed more than 864,000 according to government-reported data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The actual figures could be dramatically higher due to insufficient testing capabilities or underreporting.

Editing by John J. Catherine