An older man wearing a protective face mask in downtown Erbil following the coronavirus outbreak, Iraqi Kurdistan, March 7, 2020. Photo: Rudaw
HEWLÊR-Erbil, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— Three more cases of coronavirus have been confirmed on Sunday in Iraqi Kurdistan Region, according to the KRG’s Ministry of Health, bringing the Kurdish region’s total to thirteen.
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Health said that there were two new patients in Sulaimani, a 53-year-old man and a 52-year old man. One had recently returned from Iran and tested positive while in quarantine, while the other had come into contact with a mullah who later died of the disease.
The other new case involved a 52-year-old woman in Erbil, who is a family member of a patient who also recently tested positive for the virus.
“In the last 24 hours, 56 suspicious people were tested, 37 in Erbil, 18 in Sulaimani, and one in Duhok, the test results of three of them were positive,” the statement added.
“The number of people that were in quarantine is 2918 people in 31 different places, now only 128 people are in the quarantine and 1790 people went home.”
The total number of coronavirus patients continues to rise in the Kurdistan Region, health officials said.
Erbil now has three cases of the virus, which have all emerged over the past three days.
Kurdistan Region authorities ordered the closure of schools, banned large public gatherings, and cut government working hours at the end of last month in an attempt to stem the spread of the illness. Erbil city authorities on Saturday ordered the closure of all bars, beauty salons and public play areas from March 8 until April.
Patient in Sulaimani infected with coronavirus recovers: health directorate
The Sulaimani health directorate announced on Sunday that a patient in the governorate infected with coronavirus has recovered and will be sent home.
“We announced last week that this would be a sensitive week and now we are saying that the next two weeks will lead to a resolution of the coronavirus and will be two important and sensitive weeks,” Sulaimani Health Director Sabah Hawrami told reporters, adding that subsequent testing of the patient had resulted in negative results.
He also urged the public to follow government advice about what precautions to take.
“Some social media pages and websites are publishing incorrect information [about] preventative measures, so we call on people to only listen to the Ministry of Health and use their measures and advice,” he said.
He added that people who have recently returned from Iran are being tested at Ali Naji Hospital in Sulaimani and urged recent returnees who have not yet contacted the authorities to do so.
KRG Ministry of Interior restricts movement of displaced people during coronavirus outbreak
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Interior announced on Sunday that it was restricting movement for displaced people living in the Region as a preventative measure against the spread of coronavirus.
They will be temporarily prevented from traveling outside the Region or returning.
The order applies to all those living both inside Region’s camps and in cities and towns in Duhok, Erbil, Sulaimani, and Halabja governorates, as well as the Garmian and Raparin administrations.
Authorities are worried that if the virus enters the camps it could spread rapidly because of so many people living in close quarters.
Health authorities in Iraq announced two new coronavirus deaths on Sunday, bringing the total number to six.
The health directorate in Misan governorate said that a patient who died on Saturday was confirmed to have been infected after further tests. A second patient died on Sunday in Babil governorate.
Iraq now has 62 total confirmed cases of coronavirus, including ten in the Kurdistan Region. Seven people who have become infected have recovered from the disease.
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