Iraq reports 770 new COVID-19 cases, 606,186 in total
BAGHDAD, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Ministry of Health reported on Thursday 770 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total nationwide number to 606,186.
The new cases included 355 in the capital Baghdad, 105 in Kirkuk, 61 in Nineveh, and 33 in Duhok, the Ministry said in a statement.
The Ministry also reported seven new deaths, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 12,922, and 1,784 more recovered cases, bringing the total recoveries to 564,359.
A total of 5,010,080 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February 2020, with 38,596 done during the day, according to the ministry statement.
Meanwhile, a statement by the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority said the Authority issued directives to all airlines operating in Iraq to prevent Iraqi citizens from travelling to 20 countries where the new strain of coronavirus appeared.
It also banned the entry of travellers from these countries to Iraq, except for Iraqi citizens, who must be quarantined for 14 days until tests prove they are not infected with the new strain of the virus, according to the statement.
The 20 countries in the Iraqi travel ban are Britain, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Spain, Brazil, the United States, India, Australia, Japan, South Africa, and Zambia.
Iraq has taken a series of measures to contain the pandemic since the first coronavirus case appeared in the country.
China helped Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad.
China also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq.