Kurdistan
A man wears a protective mask in downtown Erbil on March 7, 2020. File photo: Bilind T.Abdullah/Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Interior announced on Monday new region-wide measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, to take effect from midnight on August 5.
Public parks, cafes and tea shops will be closed until further notice, according to the new measures.
Gyms, nightclubs and swimming pools will also remain closed, and wakes, wedding parties and other social congregations remain prohibited. All health clinics, including dentist offices, will also be closed for two weeks.
Restaurants are allowed to open but must only provide takeaway and delivery services. Markets may remain open but must ensure customers wear masks, or face fines of up to 1 million dinars or forced closure for 10 days.
According to the latest data from the KRG health ministry, 14,468 people have been infected with COVID-19 so far in the Kurdistan Region. Of this number, 9,299 people have recovered and 560 have died.
A complete ban on all traffic between the Kurdistan Region and other Iraqi provinces will be in place until August 12, according to the statement. The Ibrahim Khalil border crossing with Turkey will only be open to commercial traffic, the decision added.
Inter-provincial traffic will continue to be banned and traffic is only allowed through the issue of a permit, obtainable through an application on the interior ministry website.
UN and other diplomatic missions are not subject to any restrictions on movement, according to the statement.
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