Iraqi Kurdistan reports one new coronavirus case, overall 5

2020-03-03 00:00:00 - Source: Iraq News

People wear protective face masks in downtown Erbil following the coronavirus outbreak, Iraqi Kurdistan, February 27, 2020. Photo: Rudaw

HEWLÊR-Erbil, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Health announced a new coronavirus in Sulaimani on Monday night, bringing the total number of cases recorded in Iraqi Kurdistan Region to five.

The newest case involves a person who is part of the same family as three of the four patients who had tested positive earlier. The other patient was an unrelated woman.

They had all recently returned from Iran, so the new case did not constitute a transmission into the broader population of the city.

Earlier, Sulaimani Governor Haval Abubakir said that all four patients who first tested positive were in stable condition and being treated at a local hospital and isolated from other patients.

KRG Minister of Health Saman Hussain Barzinji in a press conference on Monday said that, in the past 24-hours, officials tested 27 people for infection, which resulted in 25 negative tests, one positive test, and one that requires additional testing.

In total, 89 people have been tested for the virus in Kurdistan Region, resulting in the five positive tests on coronavirus.

The minster called on the public and those who plan to travel to follow health ministry guidelines and to use mask and gloves properly.

“We call on employers not to create huge gathering when getting salaries and to work on a plan that does not create overcrowded places,” he added.

Erbil and Sulaimani governorates decided on Monday to suspend all funeral ceremonies as a preventative measure to prevent the spread of the disease.

Funerals in Kurdistan typically attract large numbers of mourners coming to pay their respects to the family of the deceased, presenting an opportunity for community transition of the virus. So far all the cases recording in Iraq and the Region have been people who have recently returned from Iran.

Erbil Governor Firsat Sofi said during a press conference on Monday that “from today, no funeral or ceremony will be held at mosques until March 21. We will extend the period after that if needed.”

“During our meeting with the religious leaders of Erbil, we all agreed that the ceremonies should be held only in houses and not at mosques or under tents,” Sofi said.

Similarly, Sulaimani Governor Haval Abubakir said that “we agreed [with] the Sulaimani religious endowment directorate that funerals should only be held in the graveyards and also to ban wedding ceremonies.”

He advised that people should not participate in ceremonies or events where a lot of people gather since that might increase the chances of infection.

The decision covers all religious communities in the Kurdistan Region.

Iraq has detected two new coronavirus patients, both of whom had recently visited Iran, the Iraqi Health Ministry said on Monday, bringing the total cases recorded so far to 21.

The two new cases were detected in Baghdad and had recently returned from Iran, the ministry said in a statement. The first case was detected on Tuesday and was of an Iranian student who has since been sent back home. The other 20 are all Iraqis who had recently been in Iran.

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