Over the past 24 hours, Kurdistan Region health officials have tested 178 people for coronavirus, the health ministry said Friday. 

Doctors tested 27 individuals in Erbil, 64 in Sulaimani, and 87 in Duhok. As a result, six new cases have been detected in Sulaimani. 

The new cases include five men aged 23, 40, 40, 25, and 70, and one woman aged 24. 

Three of those diagnosed are relatives of a cleric who died in Sulaimani after contracting the virus. One of the new cases recently returned from Spain. 

There are now 47 confirmed cases in the Kurdistan Region and one death. Thirteen people have made a full recovery while the rest are being kept under medical observation. 

Around 1,630 people remain in quarantine. 

 

Continue Reading

Pounded by the Russian-backed Syrian regime’s offensive which began in December, Syria’s opposition-controlled northwestern province of Idlib is ill-equipped to cope with an outbreak of coronavirus, the UN refugee agency warned on Friday.

In contravention of international humanitarian law and the rules of engagement, hundreds of air and artillery strikes have targeted Idlib’s hospitals and medical facilities in recent years, crippling the opposition authority’s ability to respond effectively to an outbreak of COVID-19.

Around one million civilians have been displaced by the regime offensive, many of them flocking to the Turkish border, where they live in cramped informal camps vulnerable to contagion.

“A coronavirus outbreak would be devastating for nearly a million displaced people sheltering in muddy camps and abandoned buildings,” said Kristy Siegfried, editor of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) ‘Refugee Brief’. 

“There is little or no running water in the camps and up to a dozen people often live in a single tent.”

Syria currently has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Without testing kits and other protective equipment, doctors fear a serious outbreak could only be a matter of time. 

“The World Health Organization expects test kits to arrive in Idlib next week and said that screening checkpoints would be set up at the Turkish border soon and that more protective equipment would be delivered,” Siegfried said. 

“The Idlib Health Directorate, the de-facto health-care authority in the region, said preparations were underway to convert schools and other facilities into isolation centres and to designate 60 beds in three hospitals for coronavirus patients needing advanced care.”

“It also issued recommendations such as keeping living spaces clean and washing hands that are impossible to follow in the tent camps,” she added.

Local relief organizations are providing training to frontline staff. The White Helmets, officially known as Syria Civil Defence, has begun disinfecting public places including schools and hospitals. 

Similar measures are being taken in Kurdish-controlled northeast Syria, which is also struggling under the weight of mass displacement and recent military setbacks. 

 

Continue Reading

The US-led coalition said Friday it is adjusting its positions in Iraq in response to the coronavirus pandemic and to reflect its “success” in the campaign to defeat the Islamic State group (ISIS).

“The coalition is adjusting its positioning in Iraq for two reasons: long-planned adjustments to the force to reflect success in the campaign against Daesh; and, short-term moves to protect the force during the coronavirus pandemic,” the coalition said in a statement, using the Arabic acronym for the jihadist group. 

“We anticipate the coalition supporting the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) from fewer bases with fewer people,” it added.

The announcement follows Thursday’s withdrawal of coalition troops from al-Qaim base in Anbar province near the Syrian border. It also follows a drawdown of British troops in Iraq in response to a 60-day pause in the coalition’s training mission.

It also comes as Shiite parties in Iraq demand a full US withdrawal following Washington’s recent strikes against Iran-backed militias and the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani at Baghdad airport on January 3. 

Rocket attacks targeting the US diplomatic mission in Baghdad and Iraqi bases hosting US troops have increased in recent months. Washington believes Iran-backed militias are responsible. 

Coalition forces have been in Iraq since 2014 to train and advise Iraqi and Kurdish forces in the fight against ISIS. 

Although the group lost all of its urban strongholds in Iraq in late 2017 and in Syria in early 2019, ISIS remnants and sleeper cells continue to launch attacks against military and civilian targets in the disputed territories between federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. 

The coalition believes ISIS has been degraded to such a point that foreign troops are able to reduce their commitments in Iraq and hand over to local forces. This is despite the death of two US soldiers in a recent anti-ISIS operation in Makhmour. 

“As a result of the success of ISF in their fight against ISIS, the coalition is repositioning troops from a few smaller bases,” the coalition said. 

“These bases remain under Iraqi control and we will continue our advising partnership for the permanent defeat of Daesh from other Iraqi military bases, providing much-needed specialist support,” it added. 

The move to reduce the coalition presence also comes in response to the outbreak of coronavirus, which has hit Iraq’s eastern neighbour Iran especially hard. Some coalition troops may be redeployed to their home countries to help with the domestic response to the outbreak. 

“To prevent potential spread of COVID-19, the Iraqi Security Forces have suspended all training. As a result, the coalition will temporarily return some of its training-focused forces to their own countries in the coming days and weeks,” the coalition added.

 

Continue Reading

Turkey's Ministry of Public Health launched an online screening platform aimed at expanding testing, while reducing the burden on the country's health system, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced Thursday.

The online screening asks basic questions on the symptoms of COVID-19, such as: "Do you have a fever over 38°? Do you have difficulty breathing? Do you have a runny nose?" and refers users to assistance if their symptoms show cause for medical attention.

Some symptoms of the pandemic COVID-19 overlap with the common cold and flu which, biologically, are also classified in the family of coronaviruses. According to the World Health Organization's guidelines on the novel disease, runny nose, coughing and elevated temperature are not always signs a person has contracted COVID-19. Difficulty breathing, however, is a major cause of concern, especially when it occurs with fever, body fatigue and a dry cough.

The screening also surveys users on their current location, if he or she has traveled in the past 14 days, medical history and past respiratory issues to collect data that could later be used to analyze the spread of the novel coronavirus. Users can enter any countries or cities they have recently visited, which Koca said would give the government valuable data to track the spread of the virus and deploy necessary resources to combat it. 

Turkey has so far registered four deaths from the novel coronavirus, while 359 cases of infection have been officially confirmed.

Turkey has also detained 64 people over "provocative and baseless" social media posts about the new coronavirus pandemic, the interior ministry said.

"We have found 242 suspects making baseless and provocative coronavirus posts on social media, and 64 have been detained," Turkey's justice ministry said on Twitter late Thursday.

 

Continue Reading

Turkey has detected 168 new cases of coronavirus, announced health minister Fahrettin Koca late Monday night

"168 of the 1,981 tests performed in the last 24 hours were positive. Our number of 191 patients beforehand has reached 359."

The minister announced one more fatality from the virus, bringing the death toll in Turkey to 4.  Continue Reading

The Iraqi health ministry announced 15 new cases of coronavirus in Iraq in a statement on Thursday.

Four people in Baghdad, five in Najaf, three in Babel, one in Dhi Qar, one in Basra and one in Karbala, tested positive for the virus. 

The ministry also announced one coronavirus related death in the governate of Dhi Qar. 

 

A new case of Covid-19 was confirmed by the KRG's health ministry in Sulaimani. The patient is a 63-year-old woman, whose child had previously tested positive for the virus.

This brings the number of cases in Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region to 192, with 13 fatalities from the virus.

Continue Reading

The Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (NES) announced a lockdown in a statement on Thursday, saying that "starting from 6am Monday, there will be a lockdown in all areas in Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria."

Traffic between cities will begin on Saturday at 6am, it added.

The NES also ordered the closure of all cafes, restaurants, parks, markets, pharmacies and others. 

All hospitals, INGOs and other emergence cases have been exempted. 

The statement did not mention when the lockdown expires. 

No coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Kurdish-held Rojava and Syria, however, experts are uncertain of how widespread testing is in the war-torn country.   

The NES has closed its borders. Continue Reading

Governments must aid Iran in its efforts at combatting COVID-19, said Human Rights Watch in a statement on Thursday, adding that US sanctions are causing "serious hardships for ordinary Iranians."

"Broad sanctions imposed by the US on Iran have drastically constrained the ability of the country to finance humanitarian imports, including medicines..concerned governments should support Iran's efforts to combat the COVID-19, including by providing access to medical devices and testing kits," the organization said in a statement detailing the human rights dimensions of COVID-19 responses.

The New-York based monitor also cited concerns of data manipulation as Tehran struggles regain to public trust following widespread protests. 

"The outbreak emerged after authorities had severely damaged public trust by brutally repressing widespread anti-government protests and lying about shooting down a civilian airliner. As a result, Iranian authorities have struggled to assure the public that government decision-making around the COVID-19 outbreak has been in the public’s best interests," it said. 

"The unusually high rate of reported cases of government officials contracting the virus, as well as the inconsistency in figures announced by officials and domestic media sources, have heightened concerns that the data is either being deliberately underreported or poorly collected and analyzed," it added. Continue Reading

Turkey will attempt to test 15,000 people for coronavirus a day, said Fahrettin Koca, Turkey's health minister to parliament on Thursday. 

"Over 10,000 COVID-19 tests have been completed until today," said Koca.

"We believe the number of tests will increase even more. Our goal is to conduct at least 10-15,000 tests per day," he added.

Koca also confirmed the death of a former Turkish commander on Monday who tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the death toll in Turkey to three. 

So far at least 191 people have tested positive in Turkey. Continue Reading

Iran is set to free "around 10,000 prisoners" on Friday in an amnesty deal for Nowruz, the Persian and Kurdish New Year, says judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili in a statement.

The order aims to "reduce the number of prisoners in light of the sensitive situation in the country", said Esmaili, not explicitly mentioning Covid-19. 

The statement also announced that 85,000 prisoners would be furloughed for two week periods to decrowd prisons.

While Iran began releasing thousands of prisoners on furlough in early March, prisoners convicted of "national security offences" will receive amnesty on this order.

"Around half of those convicted of national security offences will benefit from this amnesty," said Esmaili.

Human rights watchdog Amnesty International released a statement, celebrating the move.

"Amnesty International welcomes the release of anyone detained as a prisoner of conscience" and "is again calling on the Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all prisoners of conscience," it said.

Iran's death toll reached 1,284 people on Thursday, with 18,407 cases of infection.
Continue Reading

Turkish health minister Fahrettin Koca confirmed the death of a former Turkish commander on Monday who tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the death toll in Turkey to three. 

Aytac Yalman, who reportedly visited Iran a few weeks ago,  served as General Commander of the Gendarmerie between 2000-2002 and later served as Commander of the Turkish Army between 2002-2004.

Koca told lawmakers on Thursday that “Yalman’s wife also tested positive."

So far at least 191 people have tested positive in Turkey. Continue Reading

The novel coronavirus kills one person every ten minutes in Iran, says Kianoush Jahanpur, the health ministry spokesman, in a tweet on Thursday.

"According to the newest information, every hour 50 people get infected and every 10 minutes 1 person dies," tweeted Jahanpour.

"Based on this information, becareful and avoid   traveling, meetings and Nawrooz gatherings," added the tweet.

The country's death toll reached 1,284 people on Thursday. Continue Reading

Britain is withdrawing some of its service personnel from Iraq back to the United Kingdom after the international coalition instituted a precautionary 60-day pause in training operations in response to the coronavirus outbreak. 

“The troops returning home will remain at readiness for a range of potential deployments across the world, while having the opportunity to support loved ones facing the challenges of the virus,” the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a statement Thursday. 

UK forces have been in Iraq as part of the US-led coalition to defeat the Islamic States group (ISIS) since 2014. 

This does not constitute a full British withdrawal from Iraq. Key personnel will remain at their posts across the country, the MoD statement said.

“In recent months the tempo of training has significantly declined, which means that I am in a position to bring back the current training unit to the UK,” UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said. 

“There remains a significant footprint of UK Armed Forces within the coalition and elsewhere. We are committed to building Iraq’s security capacity through our membership of the Global Coalition that has proved so effective and will continue to support the Iraqi Government in achieving stability,” he added.

 

Continue Reading

Iraq’s health ministry confirmed 11 new coronavirus cases across the country on Thursday. 

Four new cases were recorded in Baghdad, two in Karbala, one in Najaf, one in Basra, one in Diwanyah, one in Muthana, and one in Wasit.

There have been no more recorded deaths as of Thursday afternoon. 

The total confirmed cases in Iraq now stand at 177, while 49 have recovered and 12 have died.

 

Continue Reading

A Kurdish-American nurse living in Tennessee, who has tested positive for the coronavirus, took to Twitter on Wednesday evening to share her experience and urge others to self-isolate.

Akhink Omer, 31, posted a thread of tweets after doctors confirmed she had contracted the virus, which has now spread to every US state. 

Omer said she had been experiencing a high fever, body aches, chills, and a cough for several days before she was tested on Monday. 

“Today my results came back positive for COVID-19. I was actually relieved because everything else came back negative,” Omer tweeted on Wednesday evening (CDT). 

“Started on a medication to help reduce its effects. I actually feel better today than I have in 10 days. Hopefully it’s only uphill from here.” 
 

Today my results came back positive for Covid19. I was actually relieved because everything else came back negative. Started on a medication to help reduce its effects. I actually feel better today than I have in 10 days. Hopefully it’s only uphill from here.

— Akhink Omer (@Akhink) March 18, 2020

Omer urged others showing symptoms or who have come into contact with infected individuals to avoid exposing the elderly and vulnerable to the virus. 

“If you take anything away from this thread it’s stay home and don’t unnecessarily expose others,” said Omer. 

“Throughout this whole process the thing I kept repeating is ‘I don’t know how an elderly person would handle this’. Because when it’s bad, it’s really bad.”

If you take anything away from this thread it’s stay home and don’t unnecessarily expose others. Throughout this whole process the thing I kept repeating is “I don’t know how an elderly person would handle this.” Because when it’s bad it’s really bad.

— Akhink Omer (@Akhink) March 18, 2020

Nashville, Tennessee is home to a substantial Kurdish diaspora. 

Nearly 9,000 Americans have tested positive for the virus and at least 149 have died as of Thursday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday it was aware of concerns over the use of ibuprofen to treat fever symptoms.

Although the WHO said it is “not aware of reports of any negative effects, beyond the usual ones that limit its use in certain populations,” patients should check with their doctor before using the medication to treat coronavirus symptoms. 

 

Continue Reading

The Kurdistan Region’s western province of Duhok confirmed its first coronavirus case on Thursday.

According to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) health ministry, the patient is a 50-year-old man who recently returned to his home province from Germany. 

As of Wednesday, there are 39 known infections in the Kurdistan Region. Thirteen people have recovered and one has died. 

The KRG extended its lockdown of Kurdish cities on Wednesday for a further five days. It had already suspended all non-essential travel between provinces to contain the spread of the virus. 

 

Continue Reading

Ninety-three people have tested positive for coronavirus and a 61-year old has man died in the last 24-hours, said Fahrettin Koca Turkish health minister said late Wednesday in a tweet 

The total number of Covid-19 cases in the country is 191 and the death toll is two.

Turkey has not disclosed the locations of the confirmed cases.  

The first case of the virus in Turkey was confirmed on March 11.

In line with many other regional states, the government declared all bars, nightclubs, and public places will begin closing down from Wednesday in all 89 Turkish provinces. Continue Reading

No patients infected with coronavirus in the Kurdistan Region are in intensive care, the KRG's Health Minister has told Rudaw. 

Speaking to Rudaw TV on Wednesday, Saman Barzanji said that most of those infected are in "good condition" and are not displaying symptoms of the virus.

"None of them need intensive care," he said, adding that 70 "specialized devices" are available for those who may need treatment if their condition worsens.

"We have enough medical equipment," the minister asserted.

13 people in the Kurdistan Region have so far recovered from the virus, with a total number of 39 cases. 

 

 

Continue Reading

Norwegian oil and gas company DNO has announced cutbacks in its operations in the Kurdistan Region due to financial uncertainty stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. 

The operator, which works throughout the Region, announced it will suspend four active drilling rigs in the area. 

DNO hopes to focus on "key projects in its core operating area in the Kurdistan region of Iraq," suspending projects across its other locations. However, oil production has already started to slow, according to an official statement by the company published on Wednesday.

"The Company will suspend guidance, including on production, until it has more visibility on the course of the pandemic and the direct and indirect impact on DNO's operations and financial position," the statement said. 

Operations have also been impeded by delayed payments from the KRG, it added. 

"DNO's ability to maintain its level of spending has also been strained by interruptions and delays to monthly payments for its oil exports from Kurdistan; the last payment received in January covered September 2019 exports," the statement said. 

"We have every confidence that payments will be forthcoming from Kurdistan, as they always have, but timing and regularlity will drive our ability, and that of other companies, to plan and execute investments investments necessary to grow, even maintain oil production," said Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani, chair of RAK Petroleum. 

Gulf Keystone also announced that it would suspend drilling in the disputed territory of Nineveh on Monday.

The KRG Ministry of Natural Resources has maintained that oil production continues  in the region. 

"No company has suspended oil production in the Kurdistan Region," ministry advisor Baroj Aziz Sindi told Rudaw. 

"The production of oil continues," he added. 

 

Continue Reading

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a 100 billion lira ($15.5 billion) stimulus package to reduce the effects of the coronavirus outbreak after a meeting in Ankara on Wednesday.

"With a package we call 'Economic Stability Shield', we are deploying 100 billion Turkish lira in order to reduce the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic," declared the President. 

Urging citizens to stay indoors, he outlined several measures intended at mitigating the virus’ effects on businesses, low-income households, and the elderly. 

"If we apply the measures already outlined, we can keep the time of staying at home limited to three weeks," Erdogan added.

Turkey was relatively late among regional states in confirming its first case of the coronavirus on March 10. The number of cases has since grown to 91 as of Tuesday and one person has died.

In line with many other regional states, the government declared all bars, nightclubs, and public places will begin closing down from Wednesday in all 89 Turkish provinces.

The interior ministry also said it has completely closed its border crossings with Iran, Georgia, Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

Cilvegozu is Turkey’s only border crossing with Syria that will remain open, but only for trade.
Continue Reading

Iran’s Health Ministry has announced that 147 people have died in the last day of coronavirus, a 15% increase in the country’s overall death toll which now reaches 1,135 according to official figures. 

This marks the single largest death toll within a 24-hour period since mid-February when the virus was reported as present in the country by the government.

The coronavirus death toll in Iran could potentially be five times higher, says Dr. Rick Brennan, Director of Emergency Operations in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) new Emergencies Program.

"The number of cases reported could represent only about a fifth of the real numbers. The reason was that testing, as is the case even in some wealthy European countries, was restricted to severe cases," Brennan told Reuters.

Despite the number of cases continues to grow each day, food markets were still packed with shoppers on Wednesday and highways were crowded with traffic as families traveled between cities ahead of the Persian New Year, Nowruz, on Friday.

Iran’s deputy health minister, Alireza Raisi, urged the public to avoid travel and crowded places. In a statement on state TV, Raisi told Iranians the coming period represented two “golden weeks” to try to curb the virus from spreading further.

He criticized people for not adhering to the warnings to stay home, saying the virus is very serious. “This is not a good situation at all,” he said.

With reporting from AP. 

Continue Reading

Urgent measures are being taken in Kurdish-controlled northeast Syria, known to Kurds as Rojava, to contain a potential outbreak of coronavirus, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (NES) said on Tuesday.  

While there have been no confirmed cases in the region, there is limited information about how many people are being tested for SARS-CoCV-2. 

“All the cafeterias, coffee houses, internet cafes, sport and recreational halls are closed,” the NES-affiliated NPA News Agency said Tuesday. All restaurants are also being closed and fast food limited to delivery only. 

All the places of worship, civic buildings, markets, public utilities, and vehicles operating inside and between urban areas will be sterilized with disinfectant, the agency said.

“We have been told that this disease has no cure but the administration has a good plan, they have disinfected everything and they have been very cooperative with people,” Siham Rashid, a Qamishli resident, told Rudaw on Tuesday. 

Volunteers are distributing leaflets to help raise public awareness and dispel rumors. 

“We are here to raise awareness for our people in how to protect themselves against this disease, the corona which has swept the whole world,” volunteer Heyat Qico told Rudaw’s Vivian Fattah in Qamishli on Tuesday.

Syrian Kurds built their own administration in northern Syria after regime troops withdrew in 2011 to suppress the uprising then sweeping the country. 

The administration expanded its area of influence as its armed wing, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), liberated territory from the Islamic State group (ISIS). 

Turkish attacks on Afrin in early 2018 and border areas of the northeast in October 2019 have weakened the fragile Kurdish administration and displaced thousands of civilians. 

Conflict and instability have left institutions and communities poorly equipped to cope with the pandemic.  

Human Rights Watch warned this week that displaced communities and detainees held in regime and SDF prisons are at particular risk of contracting the virus. 

 

Continue Reading

Erbil and Sulaimani will remain on lockdown for another five days to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRH) interior minister Rebar Ahmed told a press conference on Wednesday.

The rest of the Kurdistan Region is also included in the extended lockdown. 

The lockdown, first imposed on Saturday and extended on Monday, will now continue until midnight on March 23. Traffic suspensions will remain in place and the public continues to be advised to stay at home.  

“Anyone violating the curfew will face justice and punishment," Ahmed said. 

Some supermarkets, shops, bakeries, and pharmacies are permitted to open for daily essentials, he added.

 

Continue Reading

Turkey was relatively late among regional states in confirming its first case of the coronavirus on March 10. The number of cases has since grown to 91 as of Tuesday and one person has died.

An 89-year-old individual died on Tuesday after contracting coronavirus, Turkey’s interior ministry confirmed, without specifying which provinces are seeing the highest concentration of cases.

No other identifying details were provided and it is not known whether the patient had an underlying health condition. 

The elderly and those with pre-existing respiratory issues are particularly vulnerable to the virus. 

In line with many other regional states, the government declared all bars, nightclubs, and public places will begin closing down from Wednesday in all 89 Turkish provinces.

The interior ministry also said it has completely closed its border crossings with Iran, Georgia, Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

Cilvegozu is Turkey’s only border crossing with Syria that will remain open, but only for trade. 

 

Continue Reading

Health officials said Wednesday that the lockdown imposed on Erbil and Sulaimani to prevent an outbreak of coronavirus is proving successful. It requested an extension to traffic suspensions and closures, but did not specify for how long. 

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) set up roadblocks across both cities on Saturday to enforce the lockdown, urging citizens to stay indoors. The initial 48-hour curfew was then extended for a further 72 hours on Monday.

It is due to expire at midnight on Wednesday unless the KRG accepts the health ministry’s request for an extension.

“In the past days, due to the stop of traffic and movement [of people], there was a great impact on preventing the spread of the corona disease,” the KRG health ministry said in a statement Wednesday. 

The ministry thanked citizens, medical staff, and security forces for respecting and implementing the lockdown.

“We are asking for a traffic prohibition and for people to continue to stay at home,” it added.

 

Continue Reading

More than a hundred people have found themselves trapped since Tuesday afternoon between Peshmerga and federal government checkpoints north of Mosul, unable to proceed or return after stringent controls on free movement were imposed to halt the spread of coronavirus. 

Farhang Hassan, a car salesman who was on his way to Mosul on Tuesday afternoon, crossed the Peshmerga line in Badrik, north of the city, but federal Iraqi forces refused to let him through. 

“The Peshmerga did not tell me that I could not come back if the Iraqis did not let me in,” Hassan told Rudaw English. “We have no food and water and some people have their families with them.” 

“There are somewhere between 100 and 150 people here between the two checkpoints and no one listens to us,” Hassan said via telephone. 

A video submitted to Rudaw shows around a dozen people arguing with a federal government officer. 

“Brother, look, we are stuck here, they do not allow us to pass,” the narrator says, while taking cover from the rain under the checkpoint’s metal awning. “We are stuck here.” 

Sado Khodeida, a displaced Yezidi from Shingal, was working at a restaurant in Erbil when authorities placed the city on lockdown on Saturday. 

“Because of the coronavirus, the authorities closed the restaurants in Erbil, so I decided to go back to my family in Khanke camp. But the road to Duhok from Erbil was closed,” Khodida told Rudaw English via telephone. 

“I decided to go to Mosul and from there to go back to my family, but I have been stuck here for three days.”

Khodeida said there were around three hundred people stuck between the checkpoints, but Kurdish authorities allowed 150 into Duhok on Tuesday. 

“Honestly I have not eaten since yesterday, we don’t even have water,” Khodeida said. 

Rudaw contacted several officials, including the deputy governor of Duhok Majed Said Saleh, but they were not available for comment.

 

Continue Reading

Iraq’s health ministry released a statement on Tuesday decrying the public for not taking public health and safety instructions seriously, saying that people continue to engage in prohibited activities like gathering in large numbers and taking religious pilgrimages to shrines. 

"The spread of the virus is increasing and more cases are being confirmed every day, because medical instructions are not being taken seriously," says the ministry.

The statement added that the Ministry of Health calls upon the security forces and judiciary to implement measures that ensure the regulations are adhered to.  Continue Reading

The International Organization for Migration and United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNCHR) have announced the temporary suspension of resettlement travel for refugees amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

"UNCHR, the UN Refugee Agency, and IOM, the International Organization for Migration, are concerned that international travel could increase the exposure of refugees to the virus," read an official statement published by UNHCR. 

The suspension will come into effect "within the next few days," the statement said, adding that work is being done to coordinate travel for those who "have already cleared all formalities."

UNCHR and IOM also appealed to states to ensure movement for the "most critical emergency cases," it added. 

Scores of countries have tightened travel restrictions in recent days.

The European Union will close its external borders for 30 days from Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced yesterday. Canada also announced that it will close its borders to non-nationals and non-permanent residents, with the exception of Americans, diplomats and flight crews.
Continue Reading

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian charity worker, has been temporarily released from Tehran's Evin prison, according to her husband. 

The dual national, who has been imprisoned since 2016 on spying charges, has been released for two weeks due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. 

A statement released by the 'Free Nazanin' campaign has stated that she has to wear an ankle tag and cannot travel more than 300m from her parents home. 

"I am relieved that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was today temporarily released into the care of her family in Iran. We urge the regime to ensure she receives any necessary medical care," the Guardian quoted British Foreign secretary Dominic Raab as saying. 

Fears for the aid worker grew earlier this month when she was suspected of having contracted COVID-19.

Iran furloughed 54,000 prisoners several weeks ago as it grappled to control the spread of the virus, which has officially killed 988 across the country. 

However, political prisoners were not expected to be included in the measure.

 

Continue Reading

Governor of Nineveh Najm al-Jabouri has announced a lockdown throughout the governorate from March 18-23.

The governor announced the new measure just hours after declaring a curfew across the province.

Neighbourhood supermarkets, stores and bakeries will be open to the public,  but traffic- with the exception of "emergency cases" and the transport of goods and oil- will be banned. 

All government departments will also be closed. Health services, security forces and electricity providers are exempt from the restrictions.

 

 

Continue Reading

Motorists will face steep fines if they are caught violating the ongoing traffic suspension imposed on Erbil and Sulaimani by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Saturday to prevent the spread of coronavirus. 

In a new decree published by the KRG interior ministry on Tuesday, motorists were informed they could face hundreds of dollars in fines and have their vehicle impounded if they are caught breaking the curfew.

Drivers will be fined 100,000 Iraqi dinars ($90.70) for their first violation. If they repeat the violation “their vehicles will be confiscated for five days and they will be fined 300,000 Iraqi dinars ($272.1),” the decree states.

Earlier on Tuesday, traffic police authorities in Erbil and Sulaimani published figures on the number of cars impounded and license and registration documents confiscated for breeches of the containment order.

Traffic police in Erbil have impounded 52 vehicles and confiscated the license and registration documents of 140 motorists.

Sulaimani traffic police meanwhile said officers had impounded 20 vehicles and confiscated 2,015 licenses and vehicles registration documents over the past three days.

 

Continue Reading

Shaswar Abdulwahid, leader of the opposition New Generation movement, has converted his party’s Sulaimani office into a 100-bed hospital to help boost the city’s capacity for coronavirus patients. 

Abdulwahid announced the plan on Friday in a Facebook video. Just 48 hours later, he says the hospital is ready to receive patients. He called on the Kurdistan Region’s ruling parties to do the same. 

“When we promise something, we implement it. I hope no one will need it [the hospital] and wish everyone safety,” he said in a post on Monday. 

Abdulwahid founded New Generation in 2018 to challenge the Kurdistan Region’s big establishment parties.  

The hospital is only the latest in a series of bold projects intended to pressure the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to invest more in public services and infrastructure.

In a social media post on Sunday, Abdulwahid was photographed distributing surgical masks and latex gloves to security personnel. 

The KRG has established a number of new hospitals in recent weeks to help cope with an expected influx of coronavirus patients in Sulaimani and Erbil. It has also commandeered dozens of hotels to quarantine travelers.  

The New Generation leader called on the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to donate their party offices to provide extra medical capacity. 

“I hope that the Region’s authorities will establish similar hospitals in all cities or turn their [party] offices into hospitals,” he said. 

 

Continue Reading

Duhok currently has no recorded cases of the coronavirus, the province’s top health official confirmed on Monday evening, but warned the risk of an outbreak is growing “day by day”. 
 
Speaking to Rudaw on Monday evening, Dr Nizar Esmat said: “No cases have been registered in Duhok.”
 
“[However], day by day the risks are increasing because it has reached our surroundings and many people are travelling and particularly, in recent days, many people have come from abroad and many have come from southern Iraq. 

“All of them have brought risks with them to the Duhok governorate,” he said.

To date, Duhok officials have quarantined 529 people who have traveled from high-risk areas, Dr Esmat said. As of Monday, 129 of them remain under observation.

“We have suspected 59 people [of carrying the virus] and, after carrying out tests, fortunately none have come back positive.” 

“We are still testing people on a daily basis,” he added.

A ban on all non-emergency movement between provinces has so far helped to contain the spread of the virus from Erbil and Sulaimani to the western province of Duhok. 

Health services are nevertheless bracing for a possible influx of patients.

 

Continue Reading

Traffic police in Erbil have impounded 52 vehicles and confiscated the license and registration documents of 140 motorists for continuing to drive during the city’s coronavirus lockdown, officials said Monday.    

“After violation of the lockdown by some drivers tonight, the joint patrols of traffic police, Asayesh, Zerevani [Peshmerga forces] and Erbil police were able to confiscate 52 vehicles and the documents of 140 others,” read the statement shared by Fadhl Hajee, spokesman for the traffic police directorate. 

It urged the public to adhere to the lockdown to avoid being fined. 

Sulaimani traffic police meanwhile said officers had impounded 20 vehicles and confiscated 2,015 licenses and vehicles registration documents over the past three days. 

The Kurdistan Regional Government interior ministry has imposed a two day lockdown in the cities of Erbil and Sulaimani, which was then extended for another three days. 

Officials may extend the lockdown again after it expires on Wednesday.  

Road blocks have been established across the cities to enforce a traffic suspension imposed to delay the spread of coronavirus.

Some motorists are exempt from the ban in cases of emergency or if they are providing essential services. 

 

Continue Reading

Twenty-nine new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Turkey, bringing the national total to 47, according to a tweet by Turkish health minister Fahrettin Koca.

He added that the newly identified cases are people with "contact  abroad" in the US, Europe, Middle East, with three of them having returned from the Islamic pilgrammage of Umra in Saudi Arabia. 

"Overseas contact will continue to be a risk," warned the minister. Continue Reading

Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary speaker Rewaz Fayaq denied rumours that she refused to be put under quarantine after returning from a three-day trip to Holland, in a statement released Monday.  
 
“After she [Fayaq] visited Holland and stayed there for three days, she returned via Erbil International Airport and waited for the medical teams in the VIP section. Then, the teams came and tested her. After five hours of waiting, she tested negative,” reads a statement from the speaker’s office.  

The allegation of her refusal to be put under quarantine went viral on social media, afters Doctors Volunteering for Coronavirus, a group of physicians who voluntarily give medical advice online during the five-day KRG lockdown in Erbil and Sulaimani, accused her of fleeing quarantine at the airport.

Faiaq “returned to Kurdistan through the airport on March 14. Following an inspection, we found out that the doctors of the airport tried to put her under quarantine but Ms Rewaz rejected this,” read a Monday statement from Coronavirus Volunteering Doctors, a group of doctors who have decided to voluntarily work online due to the five-day lockdown in Erbil and Sulaimani. 

The Speaker’s office denied the claim, saying “she never rejected medical measures but has adhered to them by staying at her home during the specific time of the quarantine [two weeks] despite her negative test. This is medically allowed.”

Continue Reading

Sabah Hawrami, the head of Sulaimani's health directorate told Rudaw that five more people have recovered from coronavirus, and been discharged from hospital.

These people have been instructed not to receive visitors for two weeks, Hawrami added. Continue Reading

All congregational prayers in Turkey, including Friday prayers, have been suspended in an attempt to halt the spread of coronavirus, the Religious Affairs Directorate announced on Monday. 

Mosques will remain open for individual prayer, state-run Anadolu Agency quoted the head of the directorate Ali Erbas as saying. 

"It is sufficient to do the noonday prayer instead of the Friday prayer," Erbas added. 

Turkey has 18 confirmed cases of the virus and announced the temporary closure of "nightclubs, bars and discotheques" from Monday. Schools and universities have also been shut. The country has also launched a 24-hour hotline to deal with the virus.

Thousands of pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia have been quarantined in Ankara and Konya provinces. 
Continue Reading

The Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve is implementing US Center for Disease Control (CDC)"to ensure our forces are educated and protected" in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, Col. Myles B. Caggins III, Coalition military spokesman told Rudaw English on Monday in an email. 

"We have no confirmed cases of Covid-19 among our personnel," said the spokesman. Continue Reading

Medical professionals from Italy are sharing their knowledge and expertise with hospital staff in Duhok to prepare them for an expected influx of coronavirus patients. 

Nurses from the San Raffaele Milano hospital in Milan are working with Italian non-profit AISPO to strengthen Duhok’s hospitals for a major outbreak. 

AISPO has been working in the Kurdistan Region for several years, “strengthening the capacities of Duhok Directorate General of Health in providing quality healthcare services,” according to the charity’s website.

Alessandra Rossi, head of AISPO’s local mission, says the charity has trained 239 health workers across the sector in the use of personal protection equipment and how to spot the signs and symptoms of coronavirus. 

“We have a very good health system in Italy and Europe, yet even we have struggled to cope,” Rossi told Rudaw English. 

“We are very glad to see the containment measures taken by the Kurdistan Regional Government and appreciate their effort to contain it before it starts,” she added.

Italy is experiencing one of the world’s worst outbreaks of coronavirus, with more than 1,800 deaths and almost 25,000 infections, according to Italy’s civil protection authority.

“As we have seen in Italy, it is very hard to control,” Rossi added. 

Serena Muroni, Italy’s consul general to Erbil, has praised AISPO’s work in Duhok. 

“Meanwhile, in Duhok nurses from San Raffaele Milano – one of the hospitals in the frontline in the fight against COVID-19 in Milan – with Italian non-profit AISPO are working around the clock on preparedness, training the staff of local hospitals,” Muroni tweeted on Monday. 

“Couldn’t be prouder!” she added.

 

Continue Reading

Hotels in the Kurdistan Region capital of Erbil are being commandeered to quarantine people entering the country from nations badly hit by the coronavirus. 

The Kurdistan Regional Government and Erbil International Airport authorities have imposed strict measures to quarantine anyone arriving from a list of more than 30 countries experiencing outbreaks of COVID-19.

Symptoms of the coronavirus can take up to 14 weeks to appear, so even those who appear healthy when they arrive are being placed in isolation.

The Kurdistan Region’s hospitality industry has been pressed into action to house new arrivals. There is limited space however, and authorities are urging more hotels to volunteer rooms. 

On Saturday, Erbil International Airport authorities said: “All passengers arriving to Erbil, of any nationality, who have been in one of the following countries in the last 30 days, will be subject to immediate quarantine requirements on arrival.

“Belgium; Hungary; Croatia; Cyprus; Germany; France; Greece; Albania; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Malta; Netherlands (Holland); Czech Republic; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Slovakia; Slovenia; Finland; Spain; Sweden; Bosnia-Herzegovina; United Kingdom; Republic of Ireland, Norway; Serbia; Montenegro; Bulgaria; Austria; Switzerland; Lebanon,” the airport said in a statement.

On Sunday, health officials said 1,564 people are currently quarantined across the Kurdistan Region.  

Twenty-nine people are currently receiving medical treatment for the coronavirus. There has been one recorded death and four recoveries.

 

Continue Reading

Yusif Azarpur is a health worker from a village near the Iranian city of Urmia, West Azerbaijan Province. He caught the coronavirus from a patient at his village clinic, but has since made a full recovery. 

“At first I had a severe fever, trouble breathing, and a dry cough,” Azarpur told Rudaw.

“Three days later, I visited the Talaghani hospital, which is devoted to coronavirus patients. I was tested there and the doctor prescribed me medication for four days. After that, the symptoms increased in intensity,” he said. 

Azarpur returned to the hospital, where doctors again tested him. This time he tested positive for COVID-19 and was hospitalized. 

“Unfortunately the medication didn’t work well. After four days, I visited the hospital again to take some tests. The results were positive but I stayed in the hospital. During that time, they were coming to take my temperature and check my breathing every two hours,” he said.

Azarpur remained in hospital for two weeks where doctors kept him under close observation. Now he seems to be in the clear. 

“God has helped me. I also didn’t lose my courage against this disease. I used the medication properly.  Thank god I got better and returned to my family. I took the doctor’s consultation seriously. I obeyed his advice when I was at home and in quarantine as well. I got out of quarantine after two weeks,” he said.

“In the first week, I visited the doctor and after the inspection he told me that I have no problems and the quarantine period is over and I could go back home.”

Iran’s coronavirus death toll has reached 724, with a total of 13,938 cases recorded, a health ministry official said on Sunday.

Translation by Sarkawt Mohammed 

 

Continue Reading

Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has updated its travel advisory for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region for the third time in recent days to announce the closure of its visa application centers in Erbil, Baghdad, and Basra. 

“UK Visa Application Centres in Baghdad, Erbil and Basra will be closed until further notice as a result of the impact of coronavirus measures,” the FCO said in an online post, updated overnight. 

“You should keep up to date with information from your sponsor or employer in Iraq and/or with your airline on the impact of any existing travel plans. If you need further information about entry requirements, contact the local immigration authorities or the nearest Iraqi Embassy,” it said.

Britain updated its travel advice in the early hours of Saturday morning – hours after the lockdown first came into force in Erbil and Sulaimani. It is now advising against all travel to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

The British government had previously advised against all travel to federal Iraq, citing many security concerns, but had only advised against “all but essential” travel to the Kurdistan Region.

The US State Department and the Canada’s Department of Global Affairs continue to advise against all travel to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. 

What is your consulate saying? Send us your travel stories on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Continue Reading

Fariborz Raisdana, a renowned economist and widely published author, died in Tehran Pars hospital on Monday after contracting the coronavirus, according to semi-official news agency ISNA.

Raisdana was born in 1948 and finished his PhD at the London School of Economics. He was a former political prisoner and a member of the Iranian Writers’ Association. 

Around two dozen senior Iranian officials, including a number of parliamentarians, have died after contracting the coronavirus. 

On Monday, Ayatollah Said Hashem Bathaei, a senior cleric and a member of the Assembly of Experts, the council tasked with selecting the next leader of Iran, also died after contracting COVID-19. Bathaei was born in 1941 and was a member of the council for four years. 

Since February 19, when the first case of coronavirus was reported in the holy city of Qom, 724 people have died, with close to 14,000 diagnosed. 

Some media outlets based outside Iran claim the number of dead is far higher than authorities admit. 

 

Continue Reading

Health officials confirmed a new case of coronavirus on Monday in Iraq’s southeastern province of Maysan, which borders Iran. 

A 57-year-old man tested positive for COVID-19, according to Maysan Health Directorate. 

“The Ministry of Health informed us that the sample of the suspected case that has been sent to the central public health in Baghdad for testing turned out to be positive and the individual is infected with coronavirus,” the directorate said in a statement. 

It is not clear whether the man recently returned from neighboring Iran or whether he was infected in Iraq.

As of Sunday there were 124 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the country, with 26 recoveries and nine deaths.

Baghdad province will follow the Kurdistan Region’s lead and impose a curfew of its own from March 17 to 24, Iraqi state media reported on Sunday night. 

The public is advised to stay indoors during the lockdown, which will not apply to “security forces, health services, media and diplomatic missions as well as the movement of goods and food materials,” Iraq’s caretaker Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi told a meeting of the crisis cell. 

 

Continue Reading

Lebanon became the latest Middle East nation on Sunday to impose a lockdown to help contain an outbreak of coronavirus.

COVID-19 has officially infected 99 people in the eastern Mediterranean country and killed three. 

Beirut international airport will be shut down from Wednesday and all land and sea borders closed to travelers. 

Traffic suspension exemptions are being made for diplomats, UN peacekeepers, employees of international organisations, and goods shipments, according to AFP. 

Lebanon has progressively closed down schools, universities, and public amenities over recent weeks. 

Several states in the region are imposing curfews, lockdowns, and travel restrictions since a serious outbreak of coronavirus in Iran led to fears of widespread contagion. 

Officials fear local health systems will not be able to cope with a major outbreak. 

 

Continue Reading

Three people have recovered from coronavirus in Sulaimani, the head of the city's health department Sabah Hawrami has told Rudaw. 

Sulaimani has had the most cases of coronavirus in the Kurdistan Region, with many patients recently returning from nearby Iran. 

The city is currently under lockdown, with local authorities threatening "legal action" against those who disobey the traffic ban.

Continue Reading

14 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Iraq, according to the Ministry of Health. 

The ministry announced 9 new cases in Baghdad, 2 in Najaf, and 1 each in Misan, Diyala and Diwaniya. 

There are now 124 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the country, with 26 recoveries and 9 deaths. Continue Reading

Iraqi officials have told locals to "stay and home and follow medical instructions" following a meeting of Iraq's crisis cell on Sunday evening. 

The meeting was headed by caretaker PM Adil Abdul-Mahdi and attended the Governor of Baghdad, the ministries of finance, health,  interior, communication and representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO). 

Locals must "stay at home and follow medical instructions," read a statement from the Ministry of Health. 

"Only security forces,  health services, media and diplomatic missions as well as the movement of goods and food materials [are exempt]" from the Baghdad curfew, which will run from March 17 to 11pm on March 23.

 

Continue Reading

Iraqi Airway has suspended all flights to and from cities Iran, according to an official statement

The decision comes into effect this evening. 

Continue Reading

Iraq's crisis cell announced a curfew across Baghdad province from March 17-24, according to Iraqi state media. 



The curfew will start at 11pm on Tuesday and excludes the "delivery of goods." Continue Reading

An additional 72-hour curfew will be imposed on Erbil and Sulaimani starting from Monday at 00:00 (midnight), the Kurdistan Regional Government's interior ministry has announced.

The Kurdistan Region's two biggest cities are currently being subjected to a two-day lockdown.Traffic has been suspended, streets cleared and shops shut down, leaving the usually bustling cities deserted.

Travel within and between Erbil and Sulaimani province towns will be included in the lockdown from 00:00 (midnight) on Tuesday, the interior ministry statement said.

KRG citizens currently in neighbouring countries (Turkey, Syria and Iran) must return by 00:00 on Tuesday, when all non-commercial land border crossings will be prohibited, the statement added.

The statement reiterates that Kurdistan Region residents must stay at home to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Continue Reading

Turkish citizens returning from the Islamic pilgrimage (Umrah) in Saudi Arabia are being quarantined in student dormitories in Ankara and Konya, according to a tweet by Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Sunday afternoon.

The minister added that those suspected of being infected with Covid-19 would be taken to a hospital for testing. 

Ali Erbas, Turkey’s President of Religious Affairs, tweeted on Saturday that the remaining 5,300 Turkish citizens in Saudi Arabia would be returning overnight. He urged them no to leave their homes or accept visitors for 14 days.

Turkey currently has six confirmed cases of Covid-19. Continue Reading

Kirkuk's crisis cell on Sunday announced a series of measures to restrict movement in and out of the province in a bid to limit the spread of coronavirus, including a curfew "until further notice".

Public gatherings will be banned, and education institutions shut, the province's crisis cell announced in a statement published by state media.

Province entry and exit has been banned, and a curfew with no definite end will be imposed from 6 pm on Monday, the statement added. Continue Reading

Iran's coronavirus death toll has reached 724, with a total of 13,938 cases recorded, a health ministry official said on Sunday. 

Over the last 24 hours, 113 deaths and 1,209 new cases have been recorded. 

Iran's health ministry has made daily announcements on its death and case toll from the virus. The country has the third highest coronavirus case toll globally, after China and Italy. 
Continue Reading

Karbala's governor has announced a three-day curfew to begin on Monday, March 16, state media reported on Sunday.

Curfews were yesterday announced in the provinces of Nineveh, Dhi Qar and Babil. The Kurdistan Region's two biggest cities of Erbil and Sulaimani are currently under a 48-hour curfew. 

The holy Shiite city of Karbala was feared to be particularly vulnerable to the virus due to the high volume of visitors its religious shrines receive from Iran, the epicenter of the virus' outbreak in Middle East. Iraq's border crossings with Iran are currently shut.

Meanwhile, the only confirmed case of coronavirus in Iraq's southern province of Maysan has recovered and left hospital, the province's health directorate announced on social media. Maysan police earlier announced a ban on entry into the province, effective from 5 am on Sunday morning. 

Continue Reading

A 46-year-old man has tested positive for coronavirus in the Kurdistan Region city of Sulaimani, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) health ministry said on Sunday.

Along with the Kurdistan Region capital of Erbil, Sulaimani is currently under a 48-hour lockdown in a bid to prevent a full-blown outbreak of the virus, otherwise known as Covid-19.

The health ministry's announcement brings the Kurdistan Region case total to 29. One person has died and another has recovered from the virus.  Continue Reading

The acting governor of the southern Iraqi province of Dhi Qar has announced a three-day, province-wide curfew beginning at 5 am on Sunday morning, state media has reported.

The shutdown applies to traffic, commercial operations and personal travel, and includes all government departments with the exception of health, security and utilities. 

Announcement of the curfew follows the Saturday confirmation of the province's second case of coronavirus. 

Nineveh, home to the major Iraqi city of Mosul, issued a two-day province curfew for Sunday and Monday to allow disinfection of public places, province governor Najm al-Jabouri said in a statement. Only emergency movement will be allowed over the two days, the statement added.

The governor of the central Iraqi province of Babil announced a curfew in the district of Musayyib, applicable until further notice, state media reported, with only health and security sectors are exempt from the lockdown. Continue Reading

Two people have been arrested for leading Friday congregational prayers in flagrance of a government ban on all large group gatherings to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)'s police directorate has said.

According to the police directorate statement, “two people from Erbil city and in a place in the Haji Awa area of Raparin [Sulaimani province] led congregational prayers for a group of people and this violates the Kurdistan Regional Government’s decrees and instructions.”

“After receiving [arrest] warrant from the judge, the relevant policing  authorities arrested the two individuals … who are currently under investigation,” the statement added. 

Photos purportedly showing people taking part in congregational prayers outside shut mosques on Friday were circulated widely on social media.
Continue Reading

The head of Kurdistan Region customs has ordered the closure of a key border crossing with Iran for a day and a half beginning 8 pm tonight.

“We have decided to suspend trade movement (temporarily) at Parwezkhan from March 14, 2020 at 8 pm to early March 16, 2020 for the sake of protecting the health of people, self-protection, and bolstering and reorganizing trade affairs,” read a Saturday decree from customs head Samal Abdulrahman.

The closure has since been approved by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) finance minister. 

Many of the KRG's anti-coronavirus measures center on preventing the travel of cases across the border it shares with Iran. The Kurdistan Region's eastern neighbour has struggled to contain the spread of coronavirus, recording 611 deaths and close to 13,000 cases to date. 

The KRG has set a March 16 deadline for any Kurdistan Region residents currently in Iran to return home. Entry into the Kurdistan Region from Iran will be banned for two weeks thereafter.

Returnees to the Kurdistan Region from Iran are currently subject to a two-week quarantine, where they are being monitored for coronavirus symptoms. Over 2,000 people have so far been cleared to return home from quarantine after testing negative for the virus, the health ministry said on Friday. Continue Reading

Five new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Iraq, according to a health ministry statement, bringing the national total to 110.

Three cases were recorded in Baghdad province, one in the southern province of Dhi Qar, and one in Karbala.

The national total includes the 28 cases so far recorded in the Kurdistan Region. 

Of the 110 people who tested positive for the virus, 26 people have recovered and nine have died.  Continue Reading

Schools, universities and institutes will be closed in northeast Syria, the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (NES) said on Saturday, in a bid to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the region. 

“Public holiday announced in all schools, universities and institutes (only students and teachers) in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria from Saturday until further notice,” the statement read.

Closure is only partial, with administrative staff at educational institutions continuing to work.

Gatherings are also being banned as part of the administration's measures, as is entry of non-NES residents.

“No one is allowed to enter [the NES] through the Autonomous Administration,” said the statement, adding that this does not include the residents of the NES who can return home through border crossings on Tuesdays. 

The closure of the Semalka border with the Kurdistan Region, which took effect on February 27, is still in place.  

Damascus took a similar step on Friday, closing all public and private schools, universities and technical institutes until April 2, state media outlet SANA reported.

To date Syria has not reported any cases of coronavirus, and on Friday, the health ministry again denied that the virus was present, SANA said.

Damascus has also moved to postpone Syria's parliamentary election until May 20 as part of "state precautionary measures to deal with coronavirus," a presidential decree published by state media on Saturday read. The vote was initially scheduled to take place on April 13.
Continue Reading

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Saturday gave a televised message on current government measures against coronavirus.

His pre-recorded address did not offer new information on virus developments in the Kurdistan Region, instead reiterating the need for cooperation between the government and the public to limit its spread.

Barzani primarily addressed the ongoing 48-hour lockdown in Erbil and Sulaimani, the Kurdistan Region's two biggest cities. 

He thanked the public “for adhering to the instructions we recently gave for your safety.”

“The threat the virus poses to people's lives and its consequences for our economic status are very serious and hard,” Barzani said. However, the people of Kurdistan have "prevailed" through “more serious" adversity, he said, giving terrorism and oppression under Saddam Hussein as examples.

“I am sure we will prevail again, by cooperating and following health instructions,” Barzani said.  Continue Reading

Civil servants will not receive their salaries on Saturday due to the 48-hour lockdown imposed on Erbil and Sulaimani to contain the coronavirus, the KRG’s finance and economy ministry has said.

“Due to the measures taken to protect ourselves from coronavirus and the lockdown, the previously announced list of salaries supposed to be paid on Sunday will be delayed to other days when there is a clarity regarding anti-coronavirus measures because we cannot pay it now,” ministry spokesman Ahmed Abdulrahman said in a statement.  

The bloated public sector is one of the Kurdistan Region’s biggest employers. Civil servants have seen repeated salary delays and disruptions in recent years caused by conflict and financial crises. 

The coronavirus outbreak and measures to contain it are expected to place an enormous strain on the Kurdish and Iraqi economies, coming at a time of rock-bottom oil prices and a political crisis in Baghdad. 

 

Continue Reading

Erbil International Airport (EIA) remains open and is continuing to operate flights despite the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) decision to lock down the city for 48-hours to help contain the outbreak of coronavirus. 

“The Airport will stay open for those airlines which want to continue their flights,” EIA officials said Saturday.

It published a list of those airlines that will continue operating flights out of EIA. 

Qatar Airlines = Doha
Royal Jordanian Airlines = Amman
Lufthansa Airlines = Frankfurt 
Austrian Airlines = Vienna
Air Arabia Airlines = Sharjah 
Fly Dubai Airlines = Dubai
Egyptian Airlines = Cairo
Sun Express Airlines = Dusseldorf
Fly Erbil Airlines = Dusseldorf and Koln 
Middle East Airlines will suspend its flights on March 16 

“Please be informed that starting from March 14 no domestic flights, going or returning, will be conducted by Iraqi Airlines and Fly Baghdad Airlines to Erbil International Airport,” the EIA statement said.
 
Flights by Mahan Air from Tehran have been suspended and Cham Wings will be cancelled from March 14, it said.

Turkish Airlines, Pegasus, Tale Wing, and Fly Erbil have suspended flights to Turkey until March 28.  

Flights by Saudi Airlines and Flynas to Mecca and Jeddah have been suspended as have Gulf Air Airlines flights to Bahrain. 

“Regarding Azerbaijan Airlines flights to Azerbaijan, please contact the airline as the Azerbaijan government has banned entry of Iraqis to the country,” EIA said.

Middle East airlines flights to Lebanon will be suspended from March 16 to March 23 because Lebanon does not allow Iraqis and some other nationals to enter the country, it added.

Airport officials earlier announced new measures to quarantine passengers of specific nationalities and those arriving from particular virus-hit locations.

“All passengers arriving to Erbil, of any nationality, who have been in one of the following countries in the last 30 days, will be subject to immediate quarantine requirements on arrival.

“Belgium; Hungary; Croatia; Cyprus; Germany; France; Greece; Albania; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Malta; Netherlands (Holland); Czech Republic; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Slovakia; Slovenia; Finland; Spain; Sweden; Bosnia-Herzegovina; United Kingdom; Republic of Ireland, Norway; Serbia; Montenegro; Bulgaria; Austria; Switzerland; Lebanon ,” the airport said in a statement. 

Airport authorities told Rudaw English earlier this week that the transport hub will remain open but warned that some flight operators would have reduced or canceled services. 

The airport is screening all arrivals with temperature checks. 

As a hygiene precaution, KRG immigration control has dropped the requirement for thumbprint scans.

Although airport officials have strongly denied rumors about a possible airport closure, the KRG has the final authority on the matter.

The British consulate in Erbil has warned its citizens they may have difficulty reaching Erbil airport while traffic restrictions remain in place and should plan accordingly. 

 

Continue Reading

Despite the government’s ban on all non-emergency traffic, some residents of Sulaimani are reportedly breaking the 48-hour curfew imposed on the city. 

Haval Abubakir, the governor of Sulaimani province, told Rudaw “we will take legal action” against those caught ignoring the lockdown. 

“We hope that people adhere to it,” he said, adding that the measure was taken in the public interest. 

Public service employees maintaining electricity, water, and cleaning are exempted from the lockdown, Abubakir added.

Erbil traffic police directorate said: “So far, the banning [of traffic] is going very well and no worth-mentioning violations have been recorded.” 

Those caught violating the order will be punished, it added.

 

Continue Reading

Iran is testing around 6,000 people per day and sending samples to 50 laboratories across the country for analysis, Alireza Biglari, the head of Iran’s Pasteur Institute, one of the oldest research and public health centers in the country, told state news agency IRNA on Saturday.  

Iran has received 220,000 test kits from various donors, including Russia and the World Health Organization (WHO). As of Saturday it has used 80,000 of them, according to Biglari.

As of Saturday afternoon, Iran’s COVID-19 death toll stands at 611 with 12,729 testing, health official Ali Vahabzadeh said in a tweet. 

 

Continue Reading

An elderly man has died from coronavirus in the province of Wasit, Iraq, according to the province’s health directorate.

The man and his wife, who are yet to be identified, had recently returned from Iran, and were found to have contracted the novel coronavirus.

The governor of Wasit Province, Ali Mohammad, said that after an inspection, the two were found to be carriers of the coronavirus and were quarantined.

The individual had both heart and respiratory conditions, which, according to the statement, caused his health to deteriorate. Sheikh Saad, the town where the couple lived, has been locked down by authorities.

 

Continue Reading

Rudaw readers have been sharing their thoughts on the 48-hour coronavirus lockdown currently imposed on Erbil and Sulaimani. 

Based on our readers’ comments, there seems to be widespread support for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) decision to impose a lockdown to help limit the spread of COVID-19. 

“Prevention is better than cure. May this crisis pass with the least harm and losses,” Rawan A. Idrees said on Facebook.

“They’re setting the standard for the rest of the world and deserve praise for reacting so quickly,” one Twitter user said. 

“Their reaction is appropriate. Even an overreaction and over-preparing is better than being unprepared and without action, which is what is happening in the UK and elsewhere,” they added.

Another Twitter user said: “They are doing an amazing job, with the limited resources. Also other more progressive nations are just now implementing the same corona policies.”

Readers have also shared their sadness at seeing their normally bustling cities completely deserted.

“It breaks my heart to see my Erbil like this. May it always be full of laughter and joy. For now, stay safe everyone,” said Facebook user Chra Dizayee.

Others shared their disappointment with the decision to cancel Newroz Kurdish New Year celebrations on March 21. 

“Unfortunately we cannot celebrate our new year next week,” Jamal Sala said on Facebook. “But hopefully next year we will have the biggest Newroz in all four parts of Kurdistan!”

Got something to share? Get in touch on Facebook or Twitter.

 

Continue Reading

Iranian security forces will clear the streets of towns and cities nationwide within the next 24 hours under new measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak. 

Shops, cafes, and other public spaces will be shut in response to the pandemic, which has already killed at least 514 people and infected 11,364 as of Friday.

The new measures were announced by security chiefs in a press conference in Tehran on Friday.

The extent of the order is not clear, however, with many unsure whether it constitutes a curfew, quarantine, or complete lockdown.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Health Minister Saeed Namaki have repeatedly opposed the idea of quarantines.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khomeini tasked the armed forces with taking charge of the coronavirus response and set up a Health and Medical Treatment Headquarters on Thursday. 

State media agency IRNA says the new hub has been dubbed the Imam Reza Health and Medical Treatment Headquarters.

 

Continue Reading

Erbil’s usually bustling streets were eerily quiet on Saturday morning as the city’s 48-hour lockdown took effect. 

Starting at midnight, all traffic was suspended and businesses ordered to close under measures to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

Only those with special exemptions are free to move around the city, with checkpoints set up between districts to check documentation and fine those caught breaking the curfew. 

 

Continue Reading

Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has updated its travel advice page to urge against all travel to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq while the March 14 to 16 lockdown is in effect, warning the period may be extended. 

“You may also experience difficulties in getting to and from Erbil and Sulaymaniyah International Airports during this period,” the FCO page warns. 

“British nationals arriving at airports in Kurdistan Region of Iraq will be subject to a period of quarantine. British nationals who have arrived from Lebanon in the past 30 days should immediately present themselves to the Ministry of Health in Kurdistan Region of Iraq,” it adds. 

The British government had previously advised against all travel to federal Iraq, citing many security concerns, but had only advised against “all but essential” travel to the Kurdistan Region.

The US State Department and the Canada’s Department of Global Affairs have not updated their travel advisory and continue to advise against all travel to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. 

What is your consulate saying? Send us your travel stories on Facebook and Twitter. 

 

Continue Reading

Life must go on, they say. Osman Ahmad and Nazdar Jamal didn’t want to wait until the coronavirus pandemic had passed before tying the knot. They were married in Erbil on Friday with just a photographer present. 

 

Continue Reading

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Road blocks were set up across the Kurdistan Region cities of Erbil and Sulaimani overnight to enforce a 48 hour lockdown and traffic suspension under extraordinary measures to halt the spread of coronavirus. 

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Interior released a statement on Friday afternoon ordering the “suspension of traffic inside both cities of Erbil and Sulaimani for 48 hours, starting from midnight.”

“People should stay at home so that medical teams can do their work,” it said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) characterized the outbreak as a pandemic on Wednesday.

The Kurdistan Region has confirmed 26 cases of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. 

According to health ministry figures, Iraq as a whole now has 93 confirmed cases.  Nine people have died and 24 have recovered.

Rudaw English will be providing regular updates on the situation. 

How are you coping under the lockdown? Send your comments and photos to our Facebook and Twitter pages.

The Kurdistan Regional Government advises anyone in the Kurdistan Region displaying coronavirus symptoms to call its emergency hotline on 122. This service is available in Kurdish and Arabic 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. More information can be found on the government’s website.

 

Continue Reading