Erbil’s ancient citadel is usually brimming with visitors from all over the world. But with the city under a lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus, only doves and pigeons populated the public square below on Saturday. Roads and markets are blocked off for two days in the Kurdistan Region cities of Erbil and Sulaimani, until midnight on March 15. The interior ministry measure hopes to stifle a full-blown outbreak of the highly contagious virus, otherwise known as Covid-19, by limiting people's interactions in crowded places. Similar curfews of varying lengths have been announced across Iraqi provinces and internationally. People working in certain professions are exempt from the lockdown in Kurdish cities, including healthcare professionals, water and utility maintenance workers, and journalists. Erbil residents have largely been adhering to the lockdown, Erbil's traffic police said in a statement on Saturday. The Kurdistan Region currently has a total of 28 recorded cases of the virus. Photos by Bilind T. Abdullah / Rudaw
