ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – People in provinces under Iraqi federal government control can travel to Erbil province if they have important business or hold Erbil province residency, a spokesperson for Erbil’s coronavirus crisis cell said late Friday.
However, he added that the travel ban is only being lifted for certain cases, with travel for tourism purposes prohibited.
“Erbil province has the right to take some measures to curb the spread of coronavirus," he told Rudaw.
A travel between between the Kurdistan Region and Iraqi provinces under federal control was put in place in mid-March, in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus which has spread quickly across Iraq.
Erbil governor Firsat Sofi said this month that those people who come from lraqi provinces will be tested for COVID-19 for approximately 50,000 Iraqi dinar ($42) before being allowed to enter.
According to Qadr, entrants into Erbil province from the rest of Iraq will need to present a negative COVID-19 test dated from no more than 48 hours before entry, or take a test at the checkpoint before entering Erbil.
The Kurdistan Region has recently eased traffic between its own provinces, reactivating an online system which allows individuals to apply for travel clearance.
The Region has confirmed 12,038 cases of the virus so far. Of this, 6,595 have recovered and 464 have died.
Iraq has recorded 104,711 COVID-19 cases of which 71,268 have recovered and 4,212 have died, including in the Kurdistan Region.
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