End of lockdown to blame for COVID-19 spike in Kurdistan Region: WHO representative

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Kurdistan Region is witnessing a dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases due to lifting of many lockdown measures as a result of economic pressure, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative to Iraq told Rudaw on Thursday.

In an interview with Rudaw’s Dr Aras Bradosty, WHO representative Adham Rashad Ismail said that Duhok is witnessing “skyrocketing” numbers of cases, with increasing numbers also recorded in Erbil. 

“The Kurdistan Region was very good at dealing with the virus at the beginning, but unfortunately, [it] is not very good at dealing with the virus anymore,” Rashad said, adding that Sulaimani’s death rate – 4.8 percent – is the highest in Iraq. 

The Kurdistan Region saw a record single-day high of 788 new coronavirus cases on Monday afternoon, the KRG health ministry announced.

Once the province least impacted by the virus, Duhok saw 349 cases recorded in one day, according to the health ministry statement - more than any other province. Erbil province closely followed, recording 281 cases.

The Kurdistan Region's record high comes weeks after the government relaxed virtually all coronavirus-related restrictions. A late August interior ministry order for people to wear protective masks in public or face a 20,000 dinar ($16.20) fine has been widely ignored, with penalties not issued.

“Under economic pressure, the Kurdistan Regional Government started to reopen touristic sites and trade with neighbouring countries, and these reopenings were not well organized,” Rashad said. 

People are neglecting health measures, he added, with less than 30 percent of people in Sulaimani and Duhok adhering to protection measures. 

“People’s awareness in the Kurdistan Region’s cities is not enough to understand the danger of the virus,” Rashad said. “There is a mutual responsibility on the government and people to avoid the increase of COVID-19 cases in the Kurdistan Region.”

Rashad warned on Monday that a second wave of coronavirus would hit Iraq by October or November of this year.

All that can be done to protect against the second wave is "to take health measures seriously," Iraqi state media quoted Rashad as saying.

The Kurdistan Region saw its first coronavirus cases in early March. Later that month, the KRG imposed widespread restrictions on non-essential movement. It began to gradually ease measures over April and May as case numbers receded. However, cases began to spike once more in late May, with little relent since.

Among those confirmed to have tested positive for the virus on Monday was KRG Finance Minister Awat Sheikh Janab, who will be forced to sit out this week's Erbil delegation visit to Baghdad for budget talks, according to a KRG finance ministry statement.

The Kurdistan Region has recorded a total of 32,998 coronavirus cases, including 20,923 recoveries and 1,231 deaths, since the outbreak began.

Iraq's health ministry announced on Monday afternoon that 4,314 new cases had been recorded in the country in 24 hours, as well as 4,299 recoveries and 77 deaths.

Duhok province saw the third highest daily case numbers in the whole of Iraq, after Baghdad and Najaf.

Iraq has recorded a total of 264,864 coronavirus cases, including 202,829 recoveries and 7,589 deaths, since the outbreak began.