Get vaccinated, says Sulaimani health official

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The head of Sulaimani’s health department on Saturday urged people to get vaccinated as coronavirus infections are surging in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. 

“The numbers are rising rapidly and our abilities are limited. We are not able to solve the issue of corona by ourselves. First and foremost, the people have to protect themselves,” Sabah Hawrami said in a press conference. 

He asked people to get “vaccinated as soon as possible,” adding that 95 percent of those currently being treated for the virus were not vaccinated.

The Kurdistan Region is seeing a third wave of infections, recording record high numbers of new cases over the past week. On Saturday, the health ministry reported 1,010 new cases, bringing the total up to 211,828.

Earlier this month, Minister of Health Saman Barzinji confirmed the more contagious Delta variant had been detected in the Kurdistan Region.

Hawrami emphasized the importance for “people not to think twice about getting the vaccine,” saying the benefits outweigh the risks. He also urged people “not to differentiate between the different vaccines because they are all the same. They are all good vaccines.”

Skepticism was high when the first vaccines arrived in the Kurdistan Region earlier this year. Numbers did pick up, however, when the Pfizer vaccine was available. 

On Saturday, the Ministry of Interior and the Sulaimani Governorate met under the chairmanship of Governor Haval Abubakr to assess response to the pandemic. They are not imposing a full lockdown, but banned large gatherings and urged everyone to wear masks and take precautions to avoid transmission of the virus.