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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — New coronavirus restrictions have been announced by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Health as the virus continues to spread.
Schools and universities will be closed until April 10, health minister Saman Barzanji announced in a press conference on Tuesday, moving back to online learning. Only Grade 12 students and students taking practical classes will attend in-person lessons, and universities currently holding examinations will continue to take them on-campus.
Cinemas, wedding halls, swimming pools and gyms are to be closed across all towns and cities in the Kurdistan Region. Funerals and all religious and social ceremonies are banned.
Cafes and restaurants are banned from serving shisha at any time and, along with malls and nightclubs, will be closed from 9pm-6am, and must enforce mask-wearing when open.
Government offices will only open from Sunday to Wednesday.
Security forces will be deployed on the streets to monitor adherence to the health measures, a statement from the Ministry of Health said. Drivers and their passengers face a 20,000-dinar fine if caught not wearing a mask.
Travel between the Kurdistan Region and federal Iraqi provinces is also restricted, with movement between the Kurdistan Region and Iraqi provinces banned on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with the exception of diplomatic missions and cargo trucks.
Those breaching any of the restrictions face up to 5 million dinars in fines, the ministry said.
The number of new COVID-19 cases has risen significantly in recent weeks.
The Kurdistan Region has seen a steady increase in daily new infections since mid-February. New rules and restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus were announced before the Newroz holiday, but were largely ignored by the public.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has expressed concern over the surge in COVID-19 cases across the Region.
"This is not the time for complacency or politics," the premier tweeted on Monday. "Our health sector is being tested again."
Erbil's provincial coronavirus crisis cell warned on Sunday that it would impose a complete lockdown for the sake of public health if residents did not adhere to health guidelines.
The ministry is encouraging people to get tested for the virus and is discussing lowering the price of PCR tests, Barzanji told Rudaw's Sangar Abdulrahman on Monday.
The health ministry on Monday announced 839 new cases recorded in 24 hours. The Region has seen a total of 120,319 cases since the pandemic began last year.
Updated March 31 at 09:04am
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