Iraqi Kurdistan confirms six more coronavirus cases
Center to treat coronavirus in Iraqi Kurdistan, March 2020. Photo: Rudaw
HEWLÊR-Erbil, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— Six new cases of coronavirus recorded In Iraqi Kurdistan Region, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Health said on late on Saturday.
Five of the cases were in Sulaimani and one was in Erbil.
Four of the newly identified patients recently returned from Iran or Europe. The other two had been in contact with people who tested also positive for coronavirus.
Earlier on Saturday, another patient tested positive in Raparian administration, that jurisdiction’s first identified case.
So far, 54 cases have been recorded in Iraqi Kurdistan. Thirteen people have recovered from COVID-19, which is the disease caused by the coronavirus, and one person has died from it.
Sulaimani city officials on Sunday issued a new set of regulations for bakeries designed to curb the spread of coronavirus.
“All personnel in the bakery should follow health regulations and wear safety equipment such as masks, gloves, and hats during work. Those who receive the money in the shops should not in any way have contact with the bread,” the municipality said.
“Except for the employees that work in the shop, no one else is allowed to go inside and smoking is not allowed inside the bakery. Any shop that does not follow the regulations will be punished,” the municipality added.
Unemployed graduates of health programs on Sunday released a statement calling on the government to employ them, so that they could contribute to the fight against coronavirus.
As a consequence of the austerity measures taken by the KRG in response to the financial crisis that began in 2014, the Region has thousands of university graduates that were unable gain employment in the all-important public sector, including many who studied medicine and public health.
“As experts in health and safety in the governorates of Sulaimani, Erbil, Duhok, Halabja, and the Raparin administration, we number more than 250 graduates,” they said in the statement.
“Due to the situation being critical in the Kurdistan Region and us feeling responsible, we want to serve and participate in the war against this deadly virus because the best weapon to fight it is protection,” it added.
While they lamented that the government has not offered them employment over the past several years, they said that they were eager to be involved in responding to the public health emergency posed by coronavirus and called on the KRG to use them as pool of skilled talent.
Meanwhile in Baghdad, Iraq’s health ministry confirmed 21 new coronavirus cases throughout Iraq on Saturday evening, including in Sulaimani and Erbil provinces who were previously announced by the KRG. It also confirmed three additional deaths.
The new cases were confirmed in Baghdad, Najaf, Basra, and Muthana provinces. This brings the national total to 214.
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