COVID-19 has rapidly spread in the Kurdistan Region over the last month, with cases increasing by 63 percent since May 14. Regional authorities had recorded under 500 cases until Eid al-Fitr holiday on May 23, when cases began to spike, recording more than 800 cases and 21 deaths in just over two weeks The KRG attempted to implement a six day lockdown after dramatic new numbers began coming in. However, the intra-province movement restrictions were lifted two days into the lockdown, after local business owners broke into protests in the Sulaimani districts of Darbandikhan, Ranya and Qaladze, saying the measures were harming their already-faltering businesses. According to data obtained from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), at least 1,324 people have been infected with COVID-19 since March 1. Of this number, 26 people lost their lives and 458 recovered and returned home. However, the number of active cases in medical facilities is on the rise. Of the 828 active coronavirus cases in the hospitals in the Kurdistan Region, 140 are in Erbil, 609 in Sulaimani, 76 in Duhok, and three in Halabja province. By Lawk Ghafuri
