Iraqi Kurdistan confirms 2 new cases of coronavirus, curfew extended until May 1
Coronavirus center at Peshmerga hospital in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, April 2020. Photo: Rudaw
HEWLÊR-Erbil, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— After several days with no new positive tests two new cases of coronavirus recorded in Iraqi Kurdistan, the ministry of health of Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) said in a statement on Thursday.
The newest patient are from Sulaimani and Duhok.
The newest patient is a 39-year-old man from Sulaimani who recently returned from Britain and is currently in quarantine and the other patient is a 46-year-old man from Duhok and a specialist doctor.
Iraqi Kurdistan had gone several days without a new case and KRG officials had begun sounding optimistic that the outbreak had nearly been contained.
So far, and according to the KRG ministry of health there have been 339 cases of coronavirus in Iraqi Kurdistan. A total of 308 patients have recovered, and four people have died.
The World Health Organization has declared the spread of coronavirus, formally known COVID-19, to be a pandemic. The statistics on Thursday evening showed that there are over 2,682,000 coronavirus cases globally, including more than 187,900 confirmed deaths, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
The Ministry of Interior announced on Thursday that it extended the curfew designed to prevent the spread of coronavirus until May 1.
The ministry said that travel is banned between 6 p.m. and 12 a.m., but that all the governorates will be given the authority independently to determine whether to allow travel between 12 a.m. to 6 a.m.
Bakeries are allowed to work from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. during the holy month of Ramadan.
The borders crossings and the airports in Sulaimani and Erbil remain closed until the curfew ends, except for a limited amount of trade.
At least 13 people were wounded during celebratory gunfire on Wednesday night as tens of thousands of people in Duhok province took to the streets to celebrate the recovery of COVID-19 patients in the area.
“13 people were wounded during the celebratory gunfire, with four of them needing minor surgery,” Hamza Razki, spokesperson for Duhok’s health department told Rudaw English.
“Nine others sustained injuries, but none were life threatening,“ he added.
Duhok province has seen one of the lowest infection rates in the country, with a total of 15 confirmed cases since the first case was reported on March 18.
Provincial officials announced on Sunday that all 15 patients had made full recoveries and planned a celebration for Wednesday night, although a partial lockdown remains in place.
Meanwhile supplies donated by the German government to respond to the coronavirus pandemic in Iraqi Kurdistan arrived in Erbil on Thursday, according to the KRG health minister.
“Through the [KRG] Joint Crisis Coordination Centre, the German Consulate General in Erbil provided medical kits, including gowns, masks, gloves, devices, and other supplies,” KRG Health Minister Saman Barzinji said during a press conference.
Barzinji said that the donation was the result of the KRG’s efforts to import supplies from numerous available sources.
“We are always busy collecting donations and aid sent to the Kurdistan Region through our relationships and then distributing them to the [governorates],” said General Director of the Joint Crisis Coordination Centre Hoshang Mohammed.
The German government is also funding programs in Duhok governorate through its foreign aid arm GIZ to train health care workers and educate people living in displacement camps about how to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Copyright © 2020, respective author or news agency, Ekurd.net | nrttv.com | rudaw.net
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