ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq on Friday warned of a new wave of coronavirus amid a worrisome recent increase in the number of infections.
Spokesperson for the Iraqi health ministry Saif al-Badr told state media that the threat of COVID-19 continues, raising the possibility of the emergence of new mutated variants.
A total of 1,080 people tested positive for the virus in the week from May 30 to June 6 up from 745 confirmed cases a week earlier, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Coronavirus infections soared in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region with Delta cases surging over the summer. The increased number of infections was later followed by the detection of the Omicron variant, with hundreds of people testing positive for the new mutant.
Iraq has reported 2,330,735 cases and 25,225 deaths since January 2020, including the Region, according to WHO numbers.
The country later saw a decline in infections, recording daily numbers as low as 40 cases and zero deaths a day with many assuming that the pandemic had ended.
Badr urged citizens to get vaccinated as a new wave of the virus is threatening Iraq and other global countries. Over 18 million vaccine doses have been administered in Iraq as of Monday, says WHO.
Iraq’s poor public health system struggled to cope with the coronavirus as the government imposed loose restrictions.
The Kurdistan Region’s endowment ministry decided in late January to allow people to hold wakes after nearly two years of ban.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment