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Kurdistan
Left to right: Waadulla Mohammed, Rafie Waadulla, Ghariba Assad, and Khula Mohammed, all of whom died in the space of three weeks after contracting the coronavirus. Composite image: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Four members of the same family who contracted the coronavirus have died in the space of just three weeks, a relative has told Rudaw.
Duhok city environmental police officer Rafie Waadulla, 36, died on August 25. His 64-year-old father, former Duhok police chief Waadulla Mohammed, died five days later.
Rafie's aunt, 57-year-old Khula Mohammed, died on September 1. The latest member of the family to die was Rafie's mother, 70-year-old Ghariba Asaad, who passed away on Sunday after battling the virus for 20 days.
"The fourth person in my family has left us due to corona. They were my brother, my brother's wife, my nephew, and my sister," Rafie's uncle Saadulla Mohammed told Rudaw TV through sobs.
Ghariba's health was "generally good," Saadulla said; Rafie's brother Abdulla told Rudaw English that she did not have any underlying health conditions.
Abdulla called the quick succession of deaths in his family a "catastrophe".
"Four people left us. We're dead too," Abdulla said.
For months, Duhok was one of the Kurdistan Region provinces least impacted by the coronavirus outbreak, recording far less cases than Erbil and Sulaimani. However, the province has seen case numbers spike in recent days.
In the 24 hours covered by a Sunday afternoon statement from the KRG health ministry, the province had recorded 250 of the Kurdistan Region's 573 new cases – the most of any province.
Duhok has recorded more than 7,500 of the Kurdistan Region's more than 36,500 coronavirus cases, according to KRG health ministry figures.
Despite consistently high coronavirus case numbers, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) measures to curb its spread have been relaxed across provinces.
Abdulla told Rudaw English he had "one message" for the public: "Do not take this virus for granted. It's serious. It kills."
"Please protect yourselves," he said. "There is no treatment, it is a big lie if somebody tells you there is a cure. We spent nearly $7,000 [on treatment] for the four of them, but they all died."
Duhok city environmental police officer Rafie Waadulla, 36, died on August 25. His 64-year-old father, former Duhok police chief Waadulla Mohammed, died five days later.
Rafie's aunt, 57-year-old Khula Mohammed, died on September 1. The latest member of the family to die was Rafie's mother, 70-year-old Ghariba Asaad, who passed away on Sunday after battling the virus for 20 days.
"The fourth person in my family has left us due to corona. They were my brother, my brother's wife, my nephew, and my sister," Rafie's uncle Saadulla Mohammed told Rudaw TV through sobs.
Ghariba's health was "generally good," Saadulla said; Rafie's brother Abdulla told Rudaw English that she did not have any underlying health conditions.
Abdulla called the quick succession of deaths in his family a "catastrophe".
"Four people left us. We're dead too," Abdulla said.
For months, Duhok was one of the Kurdistan Region provinces least impacted by the coronavirus outbreak, recording far less cases than Erbil and Sulaimani. However, the province has seen case numbers spike in recent days.
In the 24 hours covered by a Sunday afternoon statement from the KRG health ministry, the province had recorded 250 of the Kurdistan Region's 573 new cases – the most of any province.
Duhok has recorded more than 7,500 of the Kurdistan Region's more than 36,500 coronavirus cases, according to KRG health ministry figures.
Despite consistently high coronavirus case numbers, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) measures to curb its spread have been relaxed across provinces.
Abdulla told Rudaw English he had "one message" for the public: "Do not take this virus for granted. It's serious. It kills."
"Please protect yourselves," he said. "There is no treatment, it is a big lie if somebody tells you there is a cure. We spent nearly $7,000 [on treatment] for the four of them, but they all died."
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