Six new coronavirus cases  have been confirmed in the Kurdistan Region over the past 24 hours, according to figures from the KRG Ministry of Health. 

Three men aged 34, 35 and 54 have been infected in Erbil, with a 70-year-old woman the latest to be confirmed in Sulaimani. Two men aged 19 and 21 have also been confirmed as infected in Duhok. 

Two of those infected in Erbil are foreigners and another recently returned from Britain, according to an earlier statement.

A total of 544 tests were carried out in KRG-controlled areas, including 396 in Erbil, 92 in Sulaimani and 56 in Duhok. 

Two people have died from the virus in the Kurdistan Region. 

A total of 128 cases have been confirmed in the Region, with 55 recoveries. 1,248 people remain in quarantine. 

 

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A woman in Syria died of coronavirus on Sunday, the health ministry has said, marking the country's first fatality from the disease. 

"The woman died as soon as she was admitted to hospital," state outlet SANA quoted the health ministry as saying. 

Syria has officially reported 10 cases of the virus, which prompted Damascus to ban travel between provinces until April 16.

Damascus, which controls around 70 percent of Syrian territory, has already placed the capital on lockdown and grounded flights to halt the spread of the virus.

Areas outside regime control, including opposition held Idlib and Kurdish-controlled northeast Syria, have been implementing their own pandemic containment measures.

A lack of infrastructure and widespread displacement has raised fears that the virus could devastate the country still gripped in conflict after nearly a decade of civil war. 

 

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141 Iraqis stranded in Moscow are return to Baghdad on a private flight provided by the Iraqi government  on Sunday, according to Iraqi foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmad al-Sahaf.  

The plane will land in Baghdad later tonight. 

Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have moved to Europe and the Americas in recent decades, many of them escaping conflict, persecution, and a lack of opportunities. 

Many Iraqi and Kurdish nationals stranded overseas following the closure of airports and borders have appealed to the federal and regional governments for help returning to Iraq.

According to Iraq’s foreign ministry, more than 500 people were repatriated from Egypt and India on state-owned Iraqi Airways planes last week.  

Iraq announced it would return around 150 citizens from Turkey on Friday, however, it has not confirmed their arrival. 

55 Iraqis living overseas have so far been infected with coronavirus, with three deaths - two in the UK, and one in Norway.

 

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Iran announced that it will allocate 21.3 billion euro in relief amid the coronavirus crisis that has hit Iran and its economy hard.

According to state-owned Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), citing government spokesman Ali Rabiei, the relief package was approved in a meeting held at the Iranian National Headquarters and headed by President Hassan Rouhani.

It, however, did not say when the meeting was held.

The budget will be earmarked to businesses damaged by government closure measures, enacted to prevent further outbreaks of the epidemic that has claimed thousands of lives in the country.

Part of this relief package will be granted to the Iranian households, workers, and vulnerable classes of society, Rabiei added.

According to the government official, 16 billion euros will be distributed as loans to damaged businesses which have refused to fire their workers.

The Iranian Health Ministry announced 123 more coronavirus deaths within 24-hours on Sunday,  raising the number of dead to 2,640.

The total national coronavirus case tally has risen to 38,309, with 12,391 individuals recovered from the pandemic.

President Hassan Rouhani announced at the meeting that those diagnosed with COVID-19 will undergo medical treatment free of charge.  Continue Reading

According to an Iraqi Health Ministry statement, 41 new COVID-19 cases have been identified over the last 24 hours. 

This includes eight cases in Baghdad province, eight in Basra, five in Najaf, one in Sulaimani, eleven in Karbala, and eight in Erbil.

The ministry also announced the recovery of 12 coronavirus patients

No coronavirus related deaths have been reported.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Iraq has risen to 547, with 42 deaths.
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The KRG Health Ministry announced three more coronavirus cases in Erbil late Sunday morning in a statement on Facebook.

"As part of the continued testing and search for the suspects, three more COVID-19 were confirmed in Erbil. They include three men aged 54, 35 and 35. Two of them were foreigners and were in quarantine. The third person was a returnee from Britain," according to the statement.

The health ministry has not disclosed the identity of the foreigners.

This brings the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Kurdistan Region to 128. Continue Reading

The United States has announced they will provide testing kits for the novel coronavirus to the Iraqi and Kurdistan Region governments, according to a statement from the US Embassy in Baghdad.

"Initially, four kits will be made available to public health authorities in Baghdad and Erbil," read a statement from the US Embassy published on Facebook Sunday morning. "An additional seven test kits will be provided at a later date."

With the new kits, Iraq will be able to increase the number of testing by hundreds, says the embassy.

"The U.S. Government welcomes this opportunity to provide assistance to our Iraqi partners in confronting this grave international health crisis," the embassy added.

The national total of the Covid-19 cases have reached 518 across Iraq as of Sunday morning, including 125 in the Kurdistan Region.

The coronavirus outbreak first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019 before spreading across the globe.

Beijing has now taken the lead as the world’s top donor of medical supplies and expertise to help other virus-hit nations cope with the outbreak, particularly Italy.

Last week, China delivered a consignment of 1,008 coronavirus testing kits to the Kurdistan Region to help health authorities contain the outbreak.  Continue Reading

Local authorities in Amedi, Duhok province are considering quarantining an entire surburban area following the reporting of a local coronavirus case.

The Kurdistan Regional Government health ministry on Saturday night confirmed three new cases of COVID-19, according to a statement released on Facebook.

The new cases included a 19-year-old man in Duhok city, a 21-year-old man in the Qadsh suburb of Amedi, and a 70-year-old woman in Darbandikhan.

"We are on the line with Amedi and Duhok health authorities, considering quarantining Qadsh, just like what was done to Sebiran [in Erbil]," Shakir Abdulaziz, the head of Amedi's Health Department, told Rudaw English.

Abdulaziz added that stricter health measures will be imposed on Amedi after the announcement of the first case.

The Qadsh suburb has a population of about 8,000.

Darbandikhan in Sulaimani and Sebiran in Erbil have been put under tight quarantine after cases coronavirus cases were reported locally.

As of Sunday morning, the Kurdistan Region has 125 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including nine in Duhok province. Continue Reading

The Kurdistan Regional Government health ministry has confirmed three new cases of COVID-19, according to a statement released on Facebook.

They include a 19-year-old man in Duhok, a 21-year-old man in Amedi, and a 70-year-old woman in Darbandikhan. 

All new cases have had contact with people previously diagnosed with coronavirus. 

CORRECTION: The Ministry has issued a correction saying that a previous reported case in Akre was actually in Amedi. This update has been edited to reflect the new information.

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Rewaz Faiaq speaker of Kurdistan Region's parliament has completed 14 days of self isolation after returning from abroad, according to a statement from her office. 

Faiaq returned from Holland on March 14 via Erbil International Airport. After testing negative, she decided to isolate herself for 14 days at her home. 

"Following the passage of the 14 days, today her quarantine period ended. She has adhered to all health measures and her last test [for coronavirus] is negative," read the statement from her media office. Continue Reading

Turkish health minister Fahrettin Koca announced 1,704 new cases of COVID-19 and 16 virus-related deaths over the past day in a tweet Saturday evening.

This brings the total number of cases in the country to 7,402, with a death toll of 108. 

Seventy people have recovered so far, according to the minister. Continue Reading

The Kurdistan Region has extended the previously declared national holiday as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 to April 16, according to a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government's spokesperson, Jutyar Adil.

The previously declared holiday would have expired on Sunday. 

"Within the framework of measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the Kurdistan Region, it was decided to extend the holiday in all ministries, boards, offices, and public and private universities, institutes, and schools," reads the statement.

It added that security forces and health workers - who are in the frontlines of the efforts to curb the virus - are excluded.

The health ministry and other service ministries will continue their work.

The statement did not mention an extention of the lockdown. Continue Reading

Five drivers were arrested by Erbil traffic and security forces for attempting to smuggle over 50 people from Kirkuk into the Kurdistan Region capital, confirmed a police official to Rudaw.

"On the Erbil-Kirkuk and Erbil-Gwer road, five refrigerated trucks were confiscated after their drivers were caught trying to smuggle 52 alleged workers into Erbil from outside," Fazil Haji Hussein, Erbil Traffic spokesperson, told Rudaw on Saturday.

"The drivers are Kurds and the majority of the 52 individuals are Arab nationals, including women," Hussein said. "They have all been transferred to police custody."

He added that all those arrested will be subject to medical testing, in line with the KRG measures against the spread of the novel coronavirus.

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Figures published by Iraq’s heath ministry on Saturday afternoon confirm 48 new coronavirus cases across the country, including the Kurdistan Region. 

The tally does not include the nine new cases confirmed by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) earlier in the day – eight in Erbil and one in Halabja. 

Taken together, the country has seen 57 new cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the national total to 515 as of Saturday afternoon. Of that total, 122 cases are in the Kurdistan Region.

In a positive development, two patients in Sulaimani have made a full recovery, local health chief Sabah Hawrami said Saturday. 

The national death toll now stands at 42, including two in the Kurdistan Region. Nationwide, 133 people have recovered, including 53 in the Kurdistan Region.

 

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Iran’s health ministry on Saturday confirmed 35,408 coronavirus cases nationwide. Of these, 2,517 have died and 11,679 have made a recovery.  

 

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Health officials in Iran’s Kurdish city of Mahabad said Saturday the coronavirus outbreak has killed three people.

A 70-year-old, who had a pre-existing heart condition, became the latest to die at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Mahabad on Saturday after contracting the virus, Amir Behzad, head of Mahabad Health Directorate, told state media outlet IRNA. 

There are 36 confirmed cases of the virus in the city, Behzad added.

According to the latest figures published by Iran’s health authorities, a total of 32,322 people have tested positive for COVID-19 nationwide.

At least 2,378 have died and 11,133 have recovered.

In 1946, Mahabad became the site of the first independent Kurdish republic. The short-lived national project was crushed by the Shah’s government and the rebellion’s leader Qazi Muhammad was executed. 

 

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Kurdish health authorities confirm 9 new COVID-19 cases – 8 in Erbil and 1 in Halabja – bringing Region’s total to 122 infections, 2 deaths, and 51 recoveries.  Continue Reading

At least 3,000 people have been arrested in Baghdad for breaking the curfew imposed on the Iraqi capital to help contain the outbreak of coronavirus.

“Iraqi security forces continue their work to enforce the implementation of the curfews and crack down on the violators,” Baghdad Operations Command said in a statement, published by the state media outlet Al Iraqiya TV.

“Due to the violation of the curfew, 3,040 people have been arrested from March 17 to 27,” it added.

Police have also impounded 612 motorcycles and automobiles and issued 22,590 fines.

Baghdad Operations Command warned the public they would not “tolerate” any violations of the curfew and urged them to stay at home.

Iraqi health authorities confirmed 458 coronavirus cases nationwide on Friday. Forty people have died and 122 have recovered since the outbreak began.

 

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Around 70 inmates escaped Saqqez prison in western Iran after a riot erupted on Friday evening, according the state run IRNA news outlet. 

Iran has become the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East, which has spread fear across the country – particularly in Iran’s overcrowded prisons. 

“Around 70 prisoners escaped from Saqqez prison an hour ago,” Kurdistan province prosecutor Mohammad Jabari told IRNA on Friday. 

“Some have subsequently handed themselves in and others have been identified and security teams are trying to re-arrest them.”

The head of Kurdistan Province Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) told Mehr news the riot was likely sparked by fears of a coronavirus outbreak inside the prison. 

“The prisoners who escaped have been identified and teams from the police and the IRGC intelligence have been deployed to arrest them,” Sayyid Sadeq Hossein said. 

Saqqez city, with a population of just over 220,000, is among Iran’s worst hit by the outbreak, with local news outlets reporting 122 coronavirus infections and around 50 deaths.

State media puts the local death toll at 18. 

Judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisisaid recently claimed to have released 85,000 prisoners from Iran’s jails as a preventative measure to halt the spread of the virus. 

While the authorities have released some political prisoners, many are still languishing in jail. 

Human rights organizations have raised concerns about British, French, and American prisoners with dual Iranian nationality held by Iranian authorities – accused of spying. 

Videos circulated by local media appear to show dozens of Saqqez prison inmates running in all directions, some of them wearing facemasks. 

Hundreds of inmates in Tabriz prison are also on hunger strike to protest the decision not to grant them temporary release.

Almost 2,400 have died and more than 32,000 have been infected across the country. 

The Paris-based Kurdistan Human Rights Network said Friday that a group of inmates at Tabriz prison set fire to their blankets in protest at the decision. 

Prison guards allegedly responded with live ammunition, wounding seven inmates. 

Similar prison breaks have been reported in the United States, which now has more infections than any other country. 

Nine inmates escaped a South Dakota prison facility on Wednesday after reports of an infection. 

Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has called on the US to release Iranian prisoners.

“US has taken several Iranian scientists hostage—without charge or on spurious sanctions charges—& not releasing them; even when its OWN courts reject the absurd charges,” Zarif tweeted.

“US even refuses medical furlough—amid #covid19—for innocent men jailed in horrific facilities. Release our men.”
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Syrian regime officials are to extend coronavirus lockdown measures from 2pm local time on Sunday by imposing a ban on all travel between provinces, according to state media outlet SANA. 

Damascus, which controls around 70 percent of Syrian territory, has already placed the capital on lockdown and grounded flights to halt the spread of the virus.

Syria has so far recorded five coronavirus cases. Aid agencies fear an outbreak in the war-torn country would be catastrophic, especially among people displaced by recent fighting.

The new measures come as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Friday held a phone call with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan to discuss the COVID-19 crisis. 

It is their first phone call since the Syrian civil war began in 2011 and the UAE broke off relations with Damascus. The Emirati embassy was reopened in the Syrian capital in 2018. 

Areas outside regime control, including opposition held Idlib and Kurdish-controlled northeast Syria, have been implementing their own pandemic containment measures. 

Displacement and damage to health infrastructure makes these areas particularly vulnerable to an outbreak.

 

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Nine people in Sulaimani have recovered from COVID-19 and returned to their homes, the head of Sulaimani's health office Sabah Hawrami told Rudaw. 

Three people have also recovered in Erbil, including a patient who was in an "unstable condition," according to Erbil's health office. These are the first recorded recoveries in the Erbil area.

A total of 51 people in the Kurdistan Region have recovered from coronavirus, with 115 infections recorded since the outbreak began. Continue Reading

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced new measures to curb the spread of coronavirus, including a ban on all international flights and restrictions on inter-city travel.

The president urged citizens to stay at home, adding that curfews will be implemented in 30 major cities, subject to approval from their governors. 

Public transport will have distanced seating to keep passengers away from each other and inter-city travel can only be carried out with approval from the governor. 

Picnic areas will be closed on the weekends and a minimal amount of staff will be present at public and private institutions.

The new measures come amid a dramatic spike in COVID-19 cases in Turkey. 

2,069 people tested positive for the virus on Friday alone, health minister Fahrettin Koca said in a press conference from Ankara.

Turkey has a current total of 5,698 cases and 92 deaths. 

12 towns and villages throughout Turkey have been placed under quarantine, Ankara announced earlier on Friday.

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The KRG’s health ministry have released an "urgent call" for people who have recently returned from Europe to report to medical centres for COVID-19 testing. 

The ministry said in a Friday statement that those who have returned from Europe between March 1-14 must “call the 122 hotline or visit one of the coronavirus centres in cities, districts and sub-districts in order to be tested.”

The ministry added that they will only be tested for the virus, not placed into immediate quarantine. 

"This is for your own interest, your family and the people of Kurdistan," the statement said.

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2069 people tested positive for coronavirus and 17 people died in Turkey on Friday, Turkish health minister Fahrettin Koca has said in a press conference from Ankara. 

The total number of the infected is 5,698, with 92 deaths.

42 people have recovered from the virus so far. Continue Reading

 The British Consulate in Erbil has told its citizens stuck in Iraq to contact the embassy for assistance returning home amid the coronavirus outbreak.

“If you are visiting the country and need to get back to the UK urgently, please email baghdad.consular@fco.gov.uk by 30 March for further details,” the consulate said in a Facebook post published on Friday.

Canadian citizens in Iraq seeking assistance on the coronavirus pandemic have been instructed to contact the Embassy in Baghdad.

The Canadian government has also created a temporary financial assistance program to help Canadians impacted by COVID-19 to return home. 

The US Embassy in Baghdad announced on Friday that it has withdrawn non-emergency staff from Baghdad and Erbil due to the pandemic and fragile security situation in the capital. 

Travellers across the globe have been left stranded by the COVID-19 pandemic as flights have been cancelled and borders closed in attempt to stem the spread of the highly contagious virus. 

Kurdistan Region residents have also been impacted by travel restrictions, with over 90 people stranded in India as the country went into complete lockdown on Tuesday. 

Over 500 Iraqis returned home this week via private flights from Cairo after being stranded in Egypt. 400 Iraqis were also brought back from New Delhi, according to foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmad al-Sahaf. 

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Iran's military has built a 2,000 bed field hospital, hosted in a Tehran exhibition center as the country grapples to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak. 

The makeshift hospital, supposedly completed in just 48 hours, will host patients recovering from COVID-19, which has left Iran with the fourth highest global death toll from the virus- at almost 2,400 dead.

Iran has been the regional epicenter of the coronavirus crisis, but has yet to impose sweeping lockdown measures seen in neighbouring countries. Government officials have announced more restrictions as millions continue to travel for Nowruz- a two-week long period of festivities- despite over 32,000 cases confirmed throughout the country. 

 State TV on Thursday quoted Gen. Ali Jahanshahi as saying the hospital has been handed over to medical staff and will begin receiving patients next week.

Reporting by AP 

 

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A town and four villages were placed under quarantine in Turkey's Black Sea province of Rize to fight the coronavirus outbreak, health officials said on Friday. 

Turkey has so far recorded 75 coronavirus deaths and 3,629 cases. It has not provided a breakdown of cases by region. 

The town of Kandirli and four adjoining villages are in lockdown - the country's first-  to stem potential coronavirus cases, the provincial health directorate said in a statement.

A coronavirus patient in Kandirli died from the virus on Thursday.

Traffic to and from these areas are now banned. People with symptoms of coughing or fever will be identified and undergo health checks in their homes. 

If their situation is serious, they will be hospitalised, the statement said.  

Authorities have taken a raft of measures across the country from shutting schools and universities, suspending football games to banning mass prayers.

Reporting by AFP Continue Reading

Iraqi health officials said Friday that 76 new coronavirus cases have been recorded in the past 24 hours, bringing the national total to 458.

Forty people have died and 122 have recovered since the outbreak began in Iraq. Four died in the past 24 hours – two in Basra, one in Dhi Qar, and one in Babil. 

New cases have emerged across the country, including 36 in Basra, 18 in Najaf, 14 in Baghdad, one in Kirkuk, one in Dhi Qar, one in Babil, and one in Saladin.

The Iraqi health ministry said another case had been detected in the Kurdistan Region province of Sulaimani and three more in Erbil. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) says Erbil has four new cases. 

 

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Boris Johnson, the British prime minister, says he has tested positive for coronavirus. 

“Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus,” Johnson said in a video posted on Twitter. 

Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus.

I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus.

Together we will beat this. #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/9Te6aFP0Ri

— Boris Johnson #StayHomeSaveLives (@BorisJohnson) March 27, 2020

“I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus. Together we will beat this.”

As of Friday morning, the UK has 11,658 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 578 deaths.

 

 

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Twelve new coronavirus cases have been recorded among Iraqis living abroad, according to Baghdad’s foreign ministry spokesman.

Five of the new cases were detected in Los Angeles, two in Canada, and five in the United Kingdom, Dr. Ahmad Al-Sahaf said in a tweet posed on the ministry’s official Twitter account on Friday.

A further 10 cases have been confirmed among Iraqis living in Jordan, six in Italy, two in Lebanon, and one in Iran.

Sahaf did not provide any figures for Turkey, Germany, or Sweden, which are host to substantial Iraqi and Kurdish communities. 

So far, 32 Iraqis living abroad have tested positive for COVID-19. 

In Iraq, two people died on Friday after contracting coronavirus – one in Dhi Qar and the other in Babil – according to state media outlet al-Sabaah. 

Eighteen cases have now been confirmed by Najaf health department and two more in Baghdad.

Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have moved to Europe and the Americas in recent decades, many of them escaping conflict, persecution, and lack of opportunities. 

Iraqi and Kurdish nationals stranded overseas following the closure of airports and borders have urged the federal and regional governments to help them return.

On Thursday the United States surpassed China for the most recorded coronavirus infections.

 

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Iran has recorded 32,332 coronavirus infections as of Friday afternoon. Of these, 2,378 have died and 11,133 have recovered, according to Iran’s health ministry adviser Alireza Vahabzadeh. 

 

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Iraq’s politicians should put aside “partisanship and narrow interests” and instead focus on the health and well-being of the Iraqi people, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq, said Thursday. 

Paralyzed by the ongoing political deadlock in Baghdad, and battered by years of conflict and financial crisis, Iraq is now in the grip of a coronavirus outbreak – an enemy that its decrepit health system is ill-equipped to combat. 

“It is difficult to overstate the magnitude of the challenges facing Iraq at the moment,” Hennis-Plasschaert said in a statement.

“Political, security, social and economic crises have been compounded by the global COVID-19 pandemic which has not spared Iraq.” 

The UNAMI chief called for a “spirit of national unity” to cut across political and sectarian lines to address a common threat. 

“The people of Iraq have overcome such hardship in the past that I am confident they can weather this storm with solidarity and resolve,” Hennis-Plasschaert said. 

“It is my sincere hope that political leaders will at long last recognize the urgency of the situation and come together in a spirit of national unity.” 

“Surely at a time like this, partisanship and narrow interests must yield to the greater national cause and the good of the Iraqi people,” she added.

Iraq has not had a fully-functioning government since last December, when caretaker Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi resigned in the face of mass protests over unemployment, corruption, and the lack of basic services. 

His replacement, Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi, also resigned in early March after he failed to win parliamentary approval for his cabinet. 

The task has now fallen to former Najaf governor Adnan al-Zurfi – an unpopular choice among Iraq’s powerful Shiite blocs and anti-government protesters.

The deadlock means Iraq has still not approved its 2020 budget, hobbling its response to protester demands and post-war reconstruction. Conflict and insecurity continue to blight the country.

On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for a global ceasefire to “focus together on the true fight of our lives – the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

“The virus does not care about nationality or ethnicity, faction or faith. It attacks all, relentlessly,” Guterres said in a statement.

As of Thursday, Iraq’s heath authorities have confirmed 382 coronavirus infections and 36 deaths, including cases in the Kurdistan Region. Of this number, 105 have recovered. 

Iraq has responded to the outbreak by sealing its borders, grounding all commercial flights, and imposing a lockdown on all cities and provinces. 

In a speech broadcast on state television on Monday evening, Iraq’s President Barham Salih called for nationwide solidarity to combat the coronavirus but warned it would be “hard” to address the health crisis without a functioning government.

“The government restriction will have a negative impact on politics and the economy, but it is a must and we need to respect it to pass through the current crisis,” Salih said.

 

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Sixteen people have died in the last 24 hours after contracting COVID-19, Turkish health minister Fahrettin Koca announced via Twitter on Thursday evening, bringing Turkey's death toll to 75. 

Koca also said that 1,196 people had tested for positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing Turkey's case total to 3,629. 
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The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has announced all civil servants will be paid within the next two weeks, after weeks of concern the ongoing lockdown would affect salary payments. 

The KRG has already paid employees from the health, finance, Peshmerga and interior ministries from its own funds, but has been waiting for Baghdad to send its share of the budget, according to a statement from the KRG on Thursday. These people are on the frontlines of confronting the spread of coronavirus.

Starting from Sunday, the KRG will pay all civil servants by April 9, according to a statement seen by Rudaw. The payment will cover December  2019.  

The KRG needs 894 billion dinars ($755.5 million) each month to pay its employees and more than half of the money 453 billion dinars ($382.8 million) is paid by Baghdad. There have been delays to paying employee salaries due to the war against the Islamic State (ISIS) and budget cuts. 

Baghdad sent the money to the Central Bank’s branch in Erbil on Thursday, calling on the KRG’s finance and economy ministry to collect it on Sunday. 

The government will follow health measures when paying the salaries, only allowing a few people from each institution to collect the money from the banks themselves. 

The KRG lockdown is set to expire on April 1 but it is likely to be extended. 
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Kurdistan Region’s interior ministry has banned the export of eggs as demand has increased recently due to lockdown. 

“Upon the request of the trade and industry ministry and following the approval of the interior minister, it was decided to ban the export of eggs," Sami Jalal, chief of staff of the ministry told Rudaw on Thursday.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry requested the move due to a soaring demand for eggs following the coronavirus lockdown, according to spokeperson Fathi Mohammed. 

The Kurdistan Region Government (KRG) announced a lockdown within Erbil and Sulaimani cities on March 13 but later extended it twice. 

The whole of the Kurdistan Region is currently on lockdown until April 1 as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. 

The Kurdistan Region has confirmed 103 cases of the virus so far.

The Kurdistan Region exports eggs to central and southern Iraq but also imports eggs from Turkey. As per figures from the KRG agriculture ministry, there are 12 egg farming projects in the Region, producing around 1.3 billion eggs annually. The Region needs about 900 million eggs annually. 

 

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Iraq's health ministry has confirmed 36 new cases of COVID-19.

Ten of the new cases are in Baghdad, nine in Basra, seven in Karbala, five in Najaf, two in Wasit, one in Sulaimani, one in Kirkuk and one in Dhi Qar. 

Seven new deaths were also recorded while 16 people have recovered from the virus, according to the ministry.

This brings the total number of infections to 382, with 36 deaths and 105 recoveries,  including the Kurdistan Region. 
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Turkey’s interior minister on Thursday appeared to hint at plans to impose a complete lockdown on all public movement to contain the growing coronavirus outbreak.

As of Wednesday evening, Turkey has recorded 2,433 infections and 59 deaths. 

“Complete social isolation is always on our agenda,” Suleyman Soylu said during an interview on AHaber TV, according to Reuters. 

“If we cannot prevent the epidemic with these measures, we can of course take the highest measure,” he added.

A curfew was announced over the weekend for citizens over the age of 65, who are among the most vulnerable to the virus.

Schools, businesses, and places of worship have already been ordered to close, and new controls placed on the export of breathing apparatus to meet domestic demand. 

Ankara previously halted the export of domestically made face masks to prevent a shortage. 

 

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Iran’s official coronavirus case total stands at 29,406, with a death toll of 2,234, according to Health Ministry spokesperson Kianoush Jahanpour.

In the span of the last 24 hours, 157 people have died of COVID-19, and 2,389 more people have been found to have contracted the virus.

Health officials have also reported 10,457 new recoveries.

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The Iraqi government announced Thursday it is extending its curfew until April 11 as part of strict new measures to contain the spread of coronavirus, according to state news agency Al Iraqiya TV.

According to the latest figure from the Iraqi Health Ministry, 346 people have been infected with COVID-19 across the country. Of this number, 91 have recovered and 29 died.

 

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Three new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the city of Erbil, according to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). This includes a 32-year-old woman , as well as two men aged 30 and 32, all of whom were relatives of a person reported to have the virus on Wednesday. 

With the new figures, the reported number of coronavirus cases in the Kurdistan Region stands at 103 as of Thursday morning.

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561 people in Turkey have tested positive for COVID-19 and 15 have died from the virus in the last 24 hours, according to Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca. 

This brings the total number of the infected people to 2,433, with 59 deaths.

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A 30-year-old man in Sulaimani has contracted coronavirus, according to a Wednesday evening statement from the KRG's Ministry of Health. 

The Kurdistan Region now has 100 confirmed cases of the virus, including two deaths. 

The Iraqi province of Karbala also confirmed five new cases of the virus and two deaths, according to Karbala's health directorate. 

347 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have now been recorded across Iraq. 

 

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291 Iraqis arrived back in Iraq on Wednesday after being stuck in Egypt due to travel restrictions which has grounded flights across the region.

The group returned on a private flight from Cairo to Baghdad International Airport, Iraqi state media reported on Wednesday. They are the second group to return from Egypt this week, with 282 landing in Baghdad yesterday.

Flights at Egyptian airports were suspended on March 19, and the ban is  currently due to last until the end of the month.  Baghdad suspended all flights to and from Iraq on March 17, a measure which was extended yesterday to March 24.

Egypt will extend the flight suspension for two weeks from April 1, the minister for state information said on Tuesday.

Iraqi foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmad al-Sahaf told Rudaw on Wednesday that 400 Iraqis were also brought back from New Delhi this week. 

According to the ministry, 17 Iraqis currently abroad are infected with COVID-19, including 9 in Jordan, 6 in Italy and 2 in Lebanon. 

Kurdistan Region residents stranded abroad have also reached out to the KRG  to help them return home. 

In one case alone, more than 90 patients from different parts of the Kurdistan Region have found themselves stranded at a hospital in India’s financial and technological capital of Gurugram, unable to return home.

“We are pleading for the KRG to come to our aid. We want them to help us return to the Kurdistan Region," Sardar Mohammed told Rudaw English on Tuesday.

 

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday that his government will support  low-income families and pensioners through a one-billion-dollar aid package amid the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Following a meeting with the Scientific Council via teleconference, Erdogan said that they will earmark seven billion Turkish lira ($1.09 million) to support workers on minimum wage, reported the state-owned Anadolu Agency.

A $155 stipend will be paid to two million workers, and pensioners will receive a minimum of $233.
 
Ankara has called on the public to stay in their homes, and has banned people over the age of 65 from going outside. 

As per the measures taken by Turkish government on March 12 to curb the spread of COVID-19, schools were closed for a week and universities for three weeks, effective from March 16. 

Online lessons began on March 23 and will continue until April 30, with schools remaining closed until then, education minister Ziya Selcuk announced in a joint press conference with Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca. 

Turkey has confirmed 1,872 cases of coronavirus and 44 deaths as of Tuesday evening.

"136 patients are in  intensive care and 26 have recovered," Koca said in the press conference.

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The US Department of State has called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to release arbitrarily detained civilians and US citizens in Syria amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. 

"In light of threats posed by COVID-19, the United States reiterates its calls for the Assad regime to take concrete steps to protect the fate of thousands of civilians, including US citizens, being held arbitrarily in overcrowded and inhumane conditions in regime detention centers, " read a statement from State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus. 

The US also demands the  "immediate release" of all arbitrarily detained civilians and access granted to "impartial and independent entities, including medical and health organizations” who wish to enter detention facilities. 

"If the Assad regime maintains its current campaign against the Syrian people, it risks exacerbating the spread of the COVID-19 virus to epic proportions, endangering the lives of Syrians throughout the country," it added.

Syria confirmed 4 more cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, announced by state media outlet SANA. The infected patients, in the Damascus outskirts of al-Duwair, are said to be part of a bigger group who were quarantined last week

The official number of cases now stands at five. However, top officials have warned that the virus could have a disastrous impact on the war-ravaged country. 

"Syrians are acutely vulnerable to COVID-19," the UN's top envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen said on Tuesday. 

"Healthcare facilities have been destroyed or are degraded...there is a shortage of key medical equipment and health professionals," he added, calling for a ceasefire throughout the country in order to better tackle the pandemic.

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Turkey's trade minister said Wednesday that they will continue their “contactless” trade with the Kurdistan Region through the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing despite the spread of COVID-19 in both regions.

“Exports to Iraq have been carried out without contact in the buffer zone between Habur-Ibrahim Khalil border crossings through the exchange of containers, trailers and drivers since March 1, 2020,” Ruhsar Pekcan said in a statement. 

Praising the “contactless” trade between both countries, Pekcan said that the trade will continue “until it returns to its normal status.”

Trade between Erbil and Ankara has not halted despite the closure of their borders to non-commercial traffic as part of measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Ibrahim Khalil is the only crossing border between Turkey and the Kurdistan Region used for trade. Another crossing near Barzan, used for non-commercial traffic, has been closed due to the pandemic. 

Baghdad also relies on Ibrahim Khalil border crossing for trade with Turkey. The trade between both countries amounts to around $10 billion and both Turkey and Iraq have expressed readiness to double it. 

 Iraq has confirmed 346 cases of coronavirus and 29 deaths, including 99 cases and two deaths in the Kurdistan Region. Turkey has 1872 cases, with 44 deaths so far. 

 

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Iraq has confirmed 30 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, according to Iraq's Ministry of Health. 

14 people have recovered from the illness in the same time frame. 

Two new cases have been recorded in Erbil and six in Sulaimani. In the rest of Iraq, Baghdad has seen the highest number of new cases - with nine in the past 24 hours. 

Two people have also died- one in Kirkuk and another in Babil. 

346 people in Iraq have been confirmed as infected with coronavirus since the outbreak began, with 29 deaths and 89 recoveries recorded so far. 

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US officials have created a $670,000 fund to help the World Health Organization (WHO) support Iraq’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. 

The money is drawn from the Emergency Reserve Fund for Contagious Infectious Diseases at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the US Embassy in Baghdad said in a statement Wednesday. 

“These funds will contribute to the goals of the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan to stop further transmission of COVID-19 in affected or at-risk countries, and to mitigate the impact of the outbreak in all countries,” the embassy statement said.

“China also has a special responsibility to provide aid, given it is responsible for the global pandemic,” it added. 

The coronavirus outbreak first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019 before spreading across the globe. 

Beijing delivered a consignment of 1,008 coronavirus testing kits to the Kurdistan Region on Tuesday to help health authorities contain the outbreak. It has also recently sent 300,000 facemasks and a delegation of health experts. 

Matthew Tueller, the US ambassador to Iraq, said the fund demonstrates the strength of the US-Iraq partnership, which has been rattled in recent months by mounting tensions between the US and Iraq’s influential neighbor Iran.

“Today’s announcement shows the strength of the US and Iraqi partnership; and we are committed to fighting this pandemic alongside the Iraqi people,” Tueller said. “Support provided through the WHO will directly enhance the country’s ability to combat the spread of COVID-19.”

The funds are designed to help the governments of affected and at-risk developing countries “prepare their laboratories for large-scale testing for COVID-19; implement a public-health emergency plan for points of entry; activate case-finding and event-based surveillance for influenza-like illnesses; train and equip rapid-response teams; investigate cases and trace the contacts of infected persons; and adapt training materials for health workers on COVID-19,” the statement added. 

At least 319 people across Iraq have contracted the virus as of Wednesday morning. To date, 28 have died, according to a tally from the Iraqi and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) ministries of health. 

Ninety-nine cases have been confirmed in the Kurdistan Region and two people have died.

Although Iraq and the wider world stand to benefit from China’s assistance and expertise in fighting the pandemic, its international response to the crisis has become a new source of animosity between Washington and Beijing.

 

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A 75-year-old woman has died just hours after testing positive for coronavirus in the town of Taza, south of the disputed northern city of Kirkuk, according to Dr Nameq Sabah of the provincial health department. 

“This woman did not travel to any country and this is dangerous indication, therefore we will take all the urgent measures including the town will be placed on lockdown and medical teams will be sent to the town,” Dr Sabah, who is a member of the Crisis Cell in Kirkuk, told Rudaw.  

The woman’s next door neighbors and her immediate family will be tested for the virus. 

At least 319 people across Iraq have contracted the virus as of Wednesday morning. To date, 28 have died, according to a tally from the Iraqi and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) ministries of health. 

Ninety-nine cases have been confirmed in the Kurdistan Region and two people have died. 

 

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Two more coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the city of Erbil, bringing the Kurdistan Region’s total number of infections to 99 and two deaths. 

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) health ministry confirmed the two new cases on Wednesday morning. The two men are both aged 35. 

Erbil governor Firsat Sofi imposed stricter lockdown measures on Tuesday, blocking off side roads in the Kurdistan Region capital and handing security forces powers to arrest those violating curfew. 

Authorities have fined thousands of Erbil residents for breaking lockdown.

An initial two-day curfew barring non-essential traffic and business in the Kurdistan Region's two biggest cities of Erbil and Sulaimani began on March 14. The curfew has since been extended three times and expanded to include the entire Kurdistan Region. It is set to end on April 1.

 

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Thirty Czech soldiers withdrew from Iraq on Tuesday night after the coronavirus outbreak led to the suspension of the coalition training mission. 

The troops of the 4th Task Force of the Czech Army (ACR) returned to Prague in a military Airbus A-319 on March 24. 

They had participated in Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), the US-led coalition mission to defeat the Islamic State group (ISIS), and the NATO mission Iraq. 

Czech soldiers had also acted as anti-chemical warfare instructors.

“We are temporarily withdrawing our troops due to a significant reduction in their operational tasks. This is due to security threats, the current coronavirus epidemic, and the planned restructuring of both missions,” said Major General Josef Kopecký, Commander of Operations Headquarters.

Czech Army training units have been operating in Iraq since 2017. 

It follows a similar drawdown in the number of US and British personnel after the international coalition instituted a precautionary 60-day pause in training operations in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

 

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The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) health ministry has confirmed six new coronavirus cases in Darbandikhan, a Sulaimani province town that has been under quarantine since Sunday evening.

The new cases - three women, two children and a man - are from two families. All six had relatives who were confirmed to have contracted the illness on Monday, according to a statement from the ministry. 

This brings the number of confirmed cases in the Kurdistan Region to 97, and the death toll to two.

In a statement released on Tuesday night, the KRG announced a dedicated budget for Darbandikhan's health administration to fight COVID-19. The statement did not specify how much money would be allocated to the administration.

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The Kurdistan Region’s health ministry said late Tuesday that all public hospitals should cut fees by a quarter, as a coronavirus-induced lockdown has made it almost impossible for most people to work and collect salaries.

“Please decrease the fees at all sections of hospitals by 25 percent in order to further help the patients in this situation,” read a decree from the ministry that referred to the spread of COVID-19 in the Region and the lockdown which will expire on April 1. 

“If any hospital does not adhere [to the decree], legal procedures will be taken against it,” the decree added. 

Ninety-one COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the Kurdistan Region, two of which have resulted in fatalities.
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Three people were arrested on Tuesday for attempting to sneak out from the quarantined Sebiran area of Erbil province, a top local security source has told Rudaw, with an undetermined number of people successful in their escape attempt. 

Sebiran, located just northwest of Erbil, was placed under quarantine by the government on Monday after a resident tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday.

Those arrested were released later on Tuesday, said the source who asked not to be named.

“The intelligence guys have arrested three people who wanted to illegally leave the town before entering downtown [Erbil]. They have been returned to their homes and released.” 

Asked how many people have made it out of the town, which has an estimated population of 5,300, 
the source said that “people have left but it is not clear how many they are. We will not find out until there is a population survey,” they told Rudaw's Zryan Haji.

Not all those quarantined are civilians. The source said that 152 members of the Peshmerga's Zeravani units are quarantined in the town as well. 

“They are not allowed to leave until they complete their 14 days of quarantine.” Continue Reading

As the eleventh day of coronavirus lockdown in the Kurdistan Region province of Erbil draws to a close, provincial police spokeperson Fadhil Haji Omar told Rudaw on Tuesday that thousands of people have been reprimanded for breaching its regulations. 

An initial two-day curfew barring non-essential traffic and business in the Kurdistan Region's two biggest cities of Erbil and Sulaimani began on March 14. The curfew has since been extended three times and expanded to include the entire Kurdistan Region. It is set to end on April 1.

According to Omar, 3,000 people have had their car titles confiscated since the lockdown began, and 2,500 people have received fines via SMS text alert for flouting the curfew.

Omar told Rudaw reporter Mahdi Faraj that 205 cars and 48 motorbikes have been seized.

Earlier on Monday, Erbil's governor Firsat Sofi announced stricter implementation of the coronavirus curfew, now in its eleventh day.

Sofi, who also acts as the head of the Combating Coronavirus Operation Room, said the decision to deploy armed forces across districts, side roads, and outlying towns was made last night.

Blast barriers and roadblocks have been installed on side roads around the Kurdistan Region capital to discourage movement. Sofi condemned members of the community who have moved the barriers overnight.

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Iraq's health ministry has confirmed 50 new coronavirus cases and four new deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the nationwide COVID-19 case toll including the Kurdistan Region to 316 and its death toll to 27. 

Of the four deaths announced, two were in Karbala province, one in Nineveh and one in the Kurdistan Region province of Sulaimani, the health ministry's statement said. 

However, Iraqi state media reported Nineveh's health department as denying that anyone had died after contracting the virus in the province. The Iraqi health ministry has since edited its statement, instead noting the death as a second Basra fatality.

In a statement posted to his official Facebook page, Nineveh governor Najim al-Jibouri confirmed the death announcement by the ministry was incorrect, adding that it had rectified the mistake.

The death in Sulaimani had already been confirmed last night by the Kurdistan Regional Government's health ministry. 

In the provinicial breakdown of new cases given by the statement, the health ministry confirmed 11 in Basra, 8 in Sulaimani, 6 in Erbil, 4 in Nineveh, 3 in Baghdad and one in Duhok. 

Of the 13 cases confirmed in Najaf, 12 were people who had either returned from abroad, or had come into contact with someone who returned from abroad, the statement said.

The health ministry statement added that 75 people have recovered from COVID-19 in Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region; 13 people have recovered in the last 24 hours.

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Free movement was suspended inside the towns and cities of Kurdish-controlled northeast Syria on Monday under new coronavirus lockdown measures. Movement between cities had already been suspended on Thursday. 

The NPA press agency, affiliated with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (NES), reported Monday that local security forces are struggling to enforce the restrictions. 

In the city of Qamishli, Kurdish authorities may find it difficult to impose the lockdown because several neighborhoods are under the control of the Syrian regime.

The restrictions are causing serious concern, particularly among day laborers. 

“I get paid daily not monthly. The lockdown would have a bad impact on us, because I live day to day. If I get paid today I can feed [my family], if I don’t work I can’t feed them,” Yasir Abbas, a construction worker from Kobani, told Rudaw on Sunday before the restrictions came into effect.

To date, there are no reported cases of coronavirus in Kurdish-controlled northeast Syria. However, the Syrian regime has confirmed one case in the capital Damascus.

Syrian Kurds in diaspora have not been so lucky. Hussein Osman, originally from Hasaka province, lives in Geneva, where he works as a butcher. He was recently diagnosed with the virus. 

“The first week, I did not know I had corona but I had fever and I continued working,” Hussein Osman, told Rudaw TV via Skype. “Then one evening, I realized that I could not carry on and I went to hospital. They tested me and after two days they said my test for corona came back positive.”

Mehdi Zana, former mayor of Diyarbakir, also confirmed to Radio Sweden Kurdish that his sister has been diagnosed with the virus in Stockholm. She is recovering at home, but her husband has died, he said. 

Zana, the husband of renowned Kurdish politician Leyla Zana, said he has not tested positive for the virus. “They have done some tests and I am resting at home I don’t have anything,” he added.

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Six new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Erbil, including a one-year-old, a nine-year-old, three women, and one man, KRG health minister Dr. Saman Barzangy announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

"As part of the continued tests and search for the suspects, six more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Erbil city, including two children aged one and nine year old, three women and one man," said the minister.

There are now 91 confirmed cases in the Kurdistan Region, as well as two deaths, he added.

 

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Turkey is using an anti-malarial drug acquired from China on patients with coronavirus, according to Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca.

"From this morning we have brought a special drug used in China which is claimed to have resulted in improvements in intensive care patients, cutting their time in care from 11-12 days to four days," said Koca told reporters on Monday, according to AFP. 

The antimalarial drug chloroquine has been used in China and France recently to treat coronavirus. 

While many scientists say the drug is potentially useful, they argue that more testing is needed to reach safety standards.

Turkey has reported 1,529 coronavirus cases and 37 deaths, according to figures released late Monday night. 

It is unclear where the cases are, but Koca stated that they have spread across the country. 

He mentioned that Turkey's Van province has fewer than 10 cases, despite bordering Iran, where the virus is widely spread. Continue Reading

The water supply in northeastern Syria has been interrupted and may affect efforts to prevent the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus, UNICEF warned in a statement on Monday. The administration in the autonomous region has appealed for help to prevent a potential disaster, saying they are not equipped to handle the pandemic. 

The Allouk station provides water for some 460,000 people in Hasakah city, as well as the al-Hol and Areesha camps for displaced persons. The station is located near Seri Kani, a town on the border with Turkey, and came under Turkish control when Ankara launched its military campaign against Kurdish forces in northern Syria last fall. It has been in and out of service several times. 

“The interruption of water supply during the current efforts to curb the spread of the Coronavirus disease puts children and families at unacceptable risk. Handwashing with soap is critical in the fight against COVID-19,” UNICEF stated. 

UK-based conflict monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Turkish forces were responsible for the interruption. 

UNICEF is trucking water into the affected areas, but warned “this barely covers minimum needs if the water supply is interrupted again.”

“No child should have to live even one day without safe water. Clean water and handwashing save lives. Water and water facilities must not be used for military or political gains – when they do, children are the first and most to suffer,” the children’s rights agency stated. 

There have been no reported cases of coronavirus in northeastern Syria, but authorities instituted a 15-day curfew beginning Monday as a precaution. Damascus reported the first case in the country on Sunday. 

The health commission of the Kurdish-led autonomous region of northeast Syria, known as Rojava, appealed for assistance from the United Nations and World Health Organization (WHO) to provide medical supplies. 

“We have taken precautionary measures, as done by other countries. We imposed curfew, halted work in our institutions, banned gatherings, and closed schools and universities,” read the statement. “However, despite all these measures, our region is still under serious threat as we lack the basic equipment and medication to treat the infected, including ventilators and devices for the initial containment of the disease.”
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Over the past 24 hours, Kurdistan Region health officials have tested 327 people for coronavirus, the health ministry said Monday.

Doctors tested 203 individuals in Erbil, 96 in Sulaimani, and 28 in Duhok. As a result, eight new cases have been detected in Sulaimani, and one in Duhok province.

The new cases in Sulaimani province include five men and three women, while one woman was infected in Duhok.

The case in Duhok is the same 20-year-old woman which Rudaw English reported earlier on Monday.

There are now 85 confirmed cases in the Kurdistan Region and two deaths. Twenty-two people have made a full recovery, while the rest are being kept under medical observation.

Around 1573 people remain in quarantine. Continue Reading

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) interior minister has issued an order to all units under its control on Sunday, tasking them to aid in the implementation of government orders and lockdown enforcement. 

All members and officers from interior Asayish forces department, Police general directorate, domestic violence against women and family general directorate, and Kurdistan region electricity police directorate, among other units will be dispatched across the provinces in the region to aid the government.
 
The order was issued on Sunday. 

“All units of the interior ministry are to be stationed across the provinces, in order to implement the curfew, and prevent violations,” the order reads. 

The order was to be implemented starting on Monday, according to the document. Continue Reading

Calling for solidarity in the fight against coronavirus, Iraqi President Barham Salih addressed the nation on state television on Monday evening, saying that going through this health crisis without an active government is "hard."

"We will pass this crisis together," said the President.

Speaking of the nationwide curfew, Salih added, "the government restriction will have a negative impact on politics and the economy, but it is a must and we need to respect it to pass through the current crisis."

Acknowledging the widespread protests in Baghdad in other cities that erupted six months ago, Saleh said "its demands are still alive" despite the current climate massively dwindling its numbers.

Latest update added at 10:34 PM.

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Three new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Baghdad, according to state media. This includes a 40-year-old woman, a 50 year-old woman, and a 56-year old man. Continue Reading

Four new cases of coronavirus reported in Nineveh, according to state media. The individuals belong to the same family as the first case in the province, announced Monday morning.

This comes as Najaf extends it's curfew to April 1, according to state media. Continue Reading

The Secretary-General of the United Nations has called for an immediate ceasefire of all global conflicts as the world struggles to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. 

“End the sickness of war and fight the disease that is ravaging our world,” Antonio Guterres said on Monday.

Refugees and displaced persons are among the most vulnerable people who could be devastated by the COVID-19 virus, especially in war torn countries where health systems have collapsed or been targeted in conflict, he noted. 

“That is why today, I am calling for an immediate global ceasefire in all corners of the world. It is time to put armed conflict on lockdown and focus together on the true fight of our lives,” he said. 

Guterres called for the establishment of humanitarian corridors to deliver aid and renewed diplomatic efforts to end the conflicts. 
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Test kits to diagnose coronavirus will become available in areas outside of government control in Idlib, northwestern Syria, said a World Health Organisation (WHO) spokesperson on Monday, according to AFP. 

The tests come amid fears that the epidemic will affect the overcrowded IDP camps.

Hiden Hillderson, a WHO spokesperson in Gaziantep, southern Turkey said “300 laboratory tests will be available in Idlib within two days (...), and work will begin soon thereafter.” 

The spokesperson also revealed that the tests will be analyzed in a laboratory that has been specially approved and prepared for coronavirus. 

“WHO is working to secure two thousand additional laboratory examinations to be delivered as soon as possible," and this week, other necessary equipment will be dispatched, including 10,000 medical gloves and ten thousand medical masks, according to the spokesperson. 

Currently the hospitals in Idlib are sending samples to Turkey for examinations, according to the spokesperson, and so far they sent three samples of three individuals who suspected to have coronavirus, but all three tested negative. 

The spokesperson also confirmed that three hospitals have been identified in Idlib that include intensive care rooms to isolate the suspected cases. Hospitals in Turkish Gaziantep province will also provide support in the coming days and weeks.

Displaced people in northwestern Syria are especially vulnerable to respiratory infections, says the spokesman, and WHO is “very concerned” about the repercussions of the coronavirus in the area. 

Seventy percent of medical teams have left Syria, and only 64 percent of hospitals were operating at the end of 2019, the spokesperson added.

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.” Continue Reading

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani appealed to people to “take the threat of the coronavirus pandemic seriously” after a spike in new cases of the highly contagious virus. 

Twenty-two new cases were confirmed on Monday, a day after two communities were put under complete quarantine. The Sebiran neighbourhood of Erbil was put under quarantine on Sunday and later that night a similar measure was announced in the town of Darbandikhan. All four provinces of the Kurdistan Region are under lockdown with travel between towns prohibited and people instructed to stay at home. 

“To preserve your lives, the lives of your loved ones and of all Kurdistanis, I strongly urge you to follow the advice from the health and interior ministries,” said Barzani in his video statement shared on his social media. “The frontline teams – the medics, civil servants, police, security services and others – are risking their lives every day for your safety. I appeal to you to help them in their mission.”

It is essential that everyone follows the instructions issued by the health and interior ministries to contain the #coronavirus. Anyone who violates them is risking not only their own life but other people’s as well. Stay at home and keep informed https://t.co/m5yrj5ZnkB pic.twitter.com/tPqZlNwIEY

— Masrour Barzani پابەندین# (@masrour_barzani) March 23, 2020

The lockdown is in place until April 1.  Continue Reading

Iraq’s highest Shiite authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, said that persons spreading the coronavirus will have to pay blood money if their actions lead to deaths. 

Sistani said it is “not permissible” for people to mix with others if there is the possibility of coronavirus infection in answer to a question about the responsibilities of people who have contracted the virus. 

“It is not permissible for him to mix with others especially if it is likely that the infection will be passed on to them. If he does so and it results in the infection of those who did not know his condition, he has to be responsible for all harm that comes to that person. If that person dies, he must pay his diyah (blood money),” read Sistani’s answer in a statement published on Monday. 

‘Blood money’ is traditionally paid from one tribe to another as reparation when a person is killed. 

Sistani also advised people to obey official recommendations regarding self-isolation and quarantine. Continue Reading

Coronavirus curfew in Iraq's Karbala province, south of Baghdad, is extended until April 1, state media reported. Karbala city is home to many important Shiite religious sites and a popular pilgrimage destination. Devout Iraqis have defied government-imposed limitations on movement intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19.  Continue Reading

Three senior health officials failed to meet World Health Organization (WHO) standards while addressing the press on public failure to adhere coronavirus guidelines when removing their masks to speak into microphones.

Dr Adham Rashad Ismail, WHO head of mission in Iraq was speaking at a press conference alongside UNAMI chief Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and Iraqi health minister Alaa Alwan.

All three failed to meet WHO guidelines on taking masks off, which advise wearers to "not touch the front but remove the lace from behind." Both Abdel Moneim and Hennis-Plasschaert removed their masks from their mouths, while Alwan pulled his mask off from his chin. 
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Three new COVID-19 deaths have been recorded in Iraq, the country's health ministry has said, bringing the national death toll to 23.

The ministry's statement also confirmed 33 new cases of the virus, bringing the number of cases in Iraq to 266.

Seven cases were recorded in Baghdad, two in Najaf, one in Basra, and one in Nineveh. Twenty-two cases were recorded in the Kurdistan Region provinces of Erbil and Sulaimani.  Continue Reading

Ten days into lockdown in the Kurdistan Region, the roads of its capital Erbil were this morning near deserted.

An initial two-day curfew barring non-essential traffic and business in the Kurdistan Region's two biggest cities of Erbil and Sulaimani began on March 14. The curfew has since been extended three times and expanded to include the entire Kurdistan Region. It is set to end on April 1. Continue Reading

Retirement in the Middle East is rarely a home-bound experience, and Turkey is no different. Elderly people are ubiquitously seen outside socializing, gosipping, drinking tea, going for walks and sitting on park benches.

The novel coronavirus outbreak has upended social norms as much as daily life in Turkey. A widespread "stay at home" campaign has made self-isolation mandatory for people over 65 or with compromised immune systems.

Streets of metropolitan Istanbul, with its population numbering some 20 million, lay quiet as universities and schools were closed, and the education minister has promised he would teach lessons to children through a distance learning program launched through the public broadcaster, TRT.

The most painful disruption from everyday life comes for those who survive coronavirus. On Sunday Turkey's religious affairs bureau issued advisories that funerals should be attended only by the minimum number of people required to shroud and bury the body, and that obligatory rites of washing the body could be done from a distance.

Turkey now has 1,236 officially-confirmed cases and 30 deaths — "all of which were elderly," said Health Minister Fahrettin Koca Sunday night.

Of more than 20,000 tested, 1,236 have tested positive. That number could still balloon, as health ministry officials announced planned to ramp up testing and unveiled a new kit that it claims can return positive for COVID-19 "in 15 minutes."

Turkish Airlines, the country's flag carrier which boasts the world's most destinations, has reduced service to five flights per day.
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Twenty-two new COVID-19 cases were confirmed Monday by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) health ministry, bringing the Kurdistan Region case total to 76.

Twelve cases were confirmed in Erbil - nine of which were relatives of the Sebiran case confirmed on Sunday. The three other cases in Erbil were also linked to a previous infection, a student. 

Sulaimani has seen 10 new cases confirmed. Two are in the city of Sulaimani, one in the town of Chamchamal, and seven in Darbandikhan. Five of the Darbandikhan cases were relatives of someone previously confirmed to have contracted the virus, a returnee from Sweden.

So far, one person has died and 13 people have recovered from coronavirus in the Kurdistan Region. Since February, 4,593 people have been held in quarantine in 36 locations; this number fell to 1,528 by March 22. 

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.
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The Syrian Ministry of Health has announced its first case of coronavirus on Syrian state television on Sunday.

The Minister of Health, Nizar Yaziji, told SANA, "the first coronavirus case in Syria has been identified in someone coming from outside the country," explaining that "necessary measures have been taken to deal with it."

Yaziji explained that the patient, who is about 20 years of age, did not exhibit any symptoms of the disease when entering the country, claiming that a chronic and communicable diseases team followed up with the individual and he tested positive.

Yaziji called on citizens to take precautions, prevent and stay at home, and abide by the government regulations to tackle the virus.

The Syrian government has taken a series of measures over the past two weeks to prevent the spread of the virus, including the closure of schools and universities, public parks, cafes, restaurants, theaters, cinemas, wedding halls, gyms, markets, and places of worship.

Syrian authorities' denial of the presence of cases on its soil has raised suspicions from activists and human rights organizations alike, with the rapid spread of Covid-19 in neighbouring countries.

The possibility of an outbreak in Syria raises great concern after nine years of devastating war that has crippled all sectors, especially in areas outside government force control, namely in Idlib and the areas under Kurdish forces' control.

The two regions include a large number of camps crowded with the displaced, who live in poor humanitarian conditions and do not have the most basic services of clean water and sanitation networks.

Syria's Interior Ministry has announced that it is closing all border entry crossings with Lebanon from midnight on Monday.

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The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has reported ten new coronavirus cases in Sulaimani province. This includes two patients who are residents of Sulaimani city, as well as seven who live in the district of Darbandikhan, and one in Chamchamal district.

Darbandikhan has been placed under quarantine.

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Commander-in-Chief secretary, Lie. Gen. Mohammed al-Baytai, calls on security forces and all operational commands in Iraq to facilitate the transportation of communication and internet maintenance teams in order for companies to continue providing telecommunication and internet services to the public, says state media newspaper al-Sabaah. 

This comes shortly after the Iraqi Communication and Media Commission released a statement saying these services are on the “brink of total collapse in Iraq," because movement restrictions were preventing maintenance teams from doing their work.

“The continuous prohibiting of maintenance teams belonging to telecommunications and  Internet service (ISP) companies to carry out periodic maintenance and refuel transmitting stations, make these systems vulnerable,” the statement reads. 

The commission calls on the “responsible authorities” to ensure the continuous operations of cellular and internet services (ISP) by letting the maintenance teams do their jobs. 

Placing an emphasis on how important the internet and media is for combating coronavirus, the commission warns how harmful it could be to ignore this sector.

“The Commission wishes to remind the public again that the media, communications and information technology sector is the backbone of countering the crisis in the world and will represent the decisive factor in facing the repercussions of the spread of coronavirus,” the statement said. “Continuing to ignore the importance of this sector will lead to more losses that only harm Iraqi citizens.” Continue Reading

Telecommunication and internet services are on the “brink of total collapse in Iraq,” warns the Iraqi Communication and Media Commission in a statement released on Sunday,  saying that “maintenance teams continue to be prevented from carrying out their work” by the crisis cell.

“The continuous prohibiting of maintenance teams belonging to telecommunications and  Internet service (ISP) companies to carry out periodic maintenance and refuel transmitting stations, make these systems vulnerable,” the statement reads. 

The commission calls on the “responsible authorities” to ensure the continuous operations of cellular and internet services (ISP) by letting the maintenance teams do their jobs. 

Placing an emphasis on how important the internet and media is for combating coronavirus, the commission warns how harmful it could be to ignore this sector.

“The Commission wishes to remind the public again that the media, communications and information technology sector is the backbone of countering the crisis in the world and will represent the decisive factor in facing the repercussions of the spread of coronavirus,” the statement said. “Continuing to ignore the importance of this sector will lead to more losses that only harm Iraqi citizens.”
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An individual from the Erbil suburb of Sebiran has tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday, leading the government to put the entire neighborhood under quarantine, according to a local politician. 

Sebiran is located just northwest of the Kurdistan Region's capital Erbil, past the city's airport. The neighborhood contains 1200 houses, with a population of roughly 5300 individuals. 

Tolla Khoshnaw, the head of Rizgari, located in the Khabat district of Erbil told Rudaw on Sunday that “the medical procedures are clear, and samples will be taken from everyone inside Siberan neighborhood who was close to the individual who contracted coronavirus, or had been physically in contact with the individual. It will become clear whether this virus originated within Sebiran , or was transferred to the individual in Iran.” 

The individual returned  from Iran on February 15, and had no symptoms for 20 days, Khoshnaw confirmed.

“The entire neighborhood will be under quarantine for at least 14 days,” Khoshnaw added. 

All roads to Sebiran are closed.

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The lockdown in Erbil, Sulaimani, Duhok, and Halabja has been extended untill April 1, according to a statement released by the KRG interior ministry on Sunday. 

All transportation between towns and cities in the Kurdistan Region is banned, except for security forces vehicles and ambulances. 

Leaving ones home is banned, except for the purchasing daily necessities and emergencies, added the statement.

"People who violate the rules will face justice," added the statement. 

Oil companies are permitted to operate, but must fully communicate with the Ministry of Natural Resources.

This comes as Iraq imposed a nationwide lockdown on Sunday until March 28 at 11 pm to fight the novel coronavirus, as the number of cases grow and the death toll climbs to 20.

All commercial flights from and to Iraq have been suspended until Saturday, state media newspaper al-Sabaah reported on Sunday.

Banks will still operate in Iraq, added al Sabaah. This will not include the Kurdistan Region. 

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Three people in Iraq who contracted COVID-19 have died, according to the country's health and environment ministry, bringing the national death toll to 20.

Nineteen new cases of the virus have also been recorded across the country - seven of which were in the Kurdistan Region, according to the statement released on Sunday, bringing the national case total to 233.

Eight people in Baghdad were confirmed to have contracted the virus, two in Najaf, one in Karbala, and one in Muthanna, as well as six new cases in Sulaimani and one in Erbil.

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The head of the UN in Iraq on Sunday warned the country’s citizens against flouting government-imposed restrictions on movement aimed at containing the spread of coronavirus.

“In recent days we have noticed that some people are unnecessarily breaking the curfew and some people are not fully abiding by instructions. To those, I would like to say you are endangering yourself, your families, your loved ones, you are endangering the community at large,” UNAMI’s Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said in a press conference in Baghdad on Sunday.

“Mass gatherings should not take place and this includes sports, cultural events and religious gatherings.” 

Baghdad issued a week-long, nationwide curfew on March 17. However, some Iraqis have continued to participate in large group gatherings, including religious gatherings, Kurdish New Year (Newroz) celebrations, and the anti-government protests that have raged since October.

Though she praised Iraq’s measures to date, she urged members of the public to continue adhering to them and avoid complacency.

“So far, Iraq has been able to contain the spread of coronavirus but this is just an initial victory in a long struggle and it should be clear that this virus can only be fought with the full cooperation of each and every individual.” 

“I am encouraged by the wide-ranging measures taken in Iraq including in the Kurdistan Region. We should not panic – but to avoid panic, we cannot afford to be complacent.”
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Turkey implemented a series of movement restrictions as its health minister Fahrettin Koca announced Saturday that the country's COVID-19 death toll on Saturday rose to 21, more than doubling in 24 hours. 

Confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to 947 - an increase of 277 in one day. 

Turkey's interior minstry announced a series of new measures to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country, including a curfew for its senior citizens, the closure of all eat-in facilities at food-service premises,and the suspension of flights to dozens of countries. Continue Reading

The World Health Organization (WHO), the UN organisation spearheading the fight against the coronavirus outbreak, has launched a health information service with WhatsApp, the world's most widely-used messaging application.

The service will provide "the latest news and information on coronavirus including details on symptoms and how people can protect themselves and others," a March 20 announcement on the WHO website read.

Access to the service is provided through a link opening a WhatsApp conversation. Users type "hi" to activate the conversation, which triggers a menu of options that help answer COVID-19 questions.

With "the potential to reach 2 billion people," the service is intended for use by all,  "from government leaders to health workers and family and friends."

While cases have near zeroed out in China, where COVID-19 was first detected, the disease has now taken hold globally, with WHO last week declaring Europe to be the current world epicenter of the outbreak. Over 300,000 cases of the virus have been recorded globally, 13,000 of which have resulted in deaths.

To access WHO's COVID-19 health alert service, message +41 79 893 18 92 on WhatsApp. The service is currently only available in English.

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

Iraq’s health ministry confirmed 21 new coronavirus cases throughout Iraq on Saturday evening, including seven in Sulaimani province who were previously announced by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). It also confirmed three additional deaths. 

The new cases were confirmed in Baghdad, Najaf, Basra, and Muthana provinces. This brings the national total to 214, including the 48 cases confirmed in the Kurdistan Region. 

The three additional deaths bring the national total to 17 including one from the Kurdistan Region’s Sulaimani province. 

Of those infected, 39 people have recovered in Iraq and 13 in the Kurdistan Region.

 

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A top Duhok official who tested positive for coronavirus this week following his return from Germany has been sacked by the Kurdistan Region’s General Directorate of Asayesh for allegedly ignoring quarantine rules at Erbil International Airport (EIA). 

Having bucked the trend for several weeks with no recorded cases of coronavirus, Duhok province confirmed its first infection on Thursday as a 50-year-old man who recently returned from Germany, later identified as Brigadier Abdulwahab Mohammed. 

Mohammed, who is the director of Ibrahim Khalil border crossing Asayesh, was on an official trip to Germany before returning to the Kurdistan Region through EIA on March 14. 

However, Mohammed did “not adhere to the Kurdistan Regional Government’s higher committee to confront coronavirus and left the quarantine place,” read a statement from General Directorate of Asayesh. 

“Therefore, as the initial step to punish him, he has been removed from his position,” it said.

“No one is above the law.”  

Ibrahim Khalil is an international border crossing between the Kurdistan Region and Turkey. Its security is provided by Asayesh forces, which are affiliated to the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).  

Mohammed told Rudaw on Thursday he had tested negative at the airport but later tested positive in Duhok. 

“I had contacts with people but they tested negative,” he added.  

Duhok governor Farhad Atrushi told reporters on Thursday they had tried hard to prevent cases of the virus emerging in the province. He demanded an investigation into why Mohammed had not been quarantined.   

As of Saturday evening, 48 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Kurdistan Region and one person has died.

 

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New coronavirus cases in the Kurdistan Region are no longer just being detected among people who recently arrived from abroad but rather among those who have never been outside the country, indicating the contagion has spread within society itself. 

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) health ministry warned Saturday afternoon that the only way the spread can be contained is if the public respects its lockdown measures, maintains social distancing, and if individuals self-isolate if they become unwell.

The KRG has introduced several containment measures including a complete lockdown on travel within and between provinces. However, several people have failed to adhere to the measures, endangering the public. 

The health ministry released a statement on Saturday afternoon calling on the general public to be “cautious” as the threat of contagion has reached “a dangerous stage.”

“The tourists are no longer the only reason [behind the spread of the virus] but the virus exists in society. Each touch or meeting may lead to infection and the spread [of the virus] without feeling it,” the statement read. 

“The only way to control it is to stay at home and keep social distance,” it added. 

Haval Abubakir, governor of Sulaimani province, which has seen the lion’s share of cases in the Kurdistan Region, also warned this is a “sensitive” stage in the fight against the pandemic. 

The health ministry later announced a new case in Sulaimani province “who has never visited abroad.” The 37-year-old man is from Sangasar and works at a petrol station. 

The latest case brings the total in the Kurdistan Region to 48. To date there has been just one death. 

Numbers could rise in the coming days, however, after several people in Erbil and Sulaimani provinces disobeyed the government’s advice and chose to gather for Newroz celebrations in the countryside. 

 

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Coronavirus containment measures taken by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have left scores of students from the Kurdistan Region stranded in Turkey and Northern Cyprus. 

A group of 176 students signed a petition, seen by Rudaw on Saturday, calling on the KRG to open the Turkish border for a single day to allow them to return. 

The students are studying at Firat University in Elazig, Harran University in Sanliurfa, Karabük University near Turkey’s northern Black Sea coast, and the Middle East Technical University in Ankara. 

Those in Northern Cyprus are studying at the Cyprus International University and the Near East University in Nicosia. 

“We did not return to Kurdistan because we did not expect the Kurdistan Region’s border with Turkey to be closed,” the students said in a statement submitted to Rudaw. 

They urged the KRG to “open the border for merely a day so that the students can return to Kurdistan because some of the students cannot afford to buy daily needs due to the lockdown and the lack of means to transfer money [from the Kurdistan Region].”

“The sooner we return to Kurdistan, the lower the risk of being infected with the virus,” the students added.

The deadline for Kurdistan Region citizens to return and submit to a period of quarantine expired on March 17 – meaning anyone still beyond its borders must now wait out the storm. 

When cases of COVID-19 began to emerge in the Kurdistan Region, the government took several containment measures, including a flight ban and border closures.

The Kurdistan Region’s official border crossing with Turkey, Ibrahim Khalil, has been closed to travelers, but remains open to trade cargo. 

Safeen Dizayi, head of the KRG’s Department of Foreign Relations, told Rudaw he will discuss the plight of the stranded students with the interior and health ministries. 

“The deadline for the return of people from abroad was March 17 as per the interior ministry and the KRG measures. However, I will speak with the health minister and interior ministry to see what they think about the return of these students,” he said.

The number of coronavirus cases in Turkey has reached 670 and nine people have died as of Friday.

In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq there are 47 confirmed cases and one death as of Friday.

Young scholars from the Kurdistan Region have traveled in growing numbers in recent years to study at universities in Turkey, Northern Cyprus, Iran, India, and other countries where tuition fees and living costs are cheaper. 

 

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Iran's coronavirus death toll has risen to 1,556 people, a health ministry official tweeted on Saturday. 

The virus has killed 123 people across Iran in the last 24 hours, and the country remains one of the hardest hit by the novel COVID-19.

20,610 people across the country have been infected with the virus, according to official figures. However, many accuse Tehran of deliberately under-reporting the number of cases following months of anti-government sentiment across the country. 

Human Rights Watch on Thursday urged governments to aid Iran in its fight against the virus, saying US sanctions on Tehran are causing "serious hardship for ordinary Iranians."

"Concerned governments should support Iran's efforts to combat the COVID-19, including by providing access to medical devices and testing kits," the ogranization said in a statement on the human rights dimensions of the ongoing pandemic.

 

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KRG Health Minister Saman Barzanji has thanked the Region's doctors and health workers as Kurds celebrate the New Year under lockdown. 

"On this occasion, we would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to the doctors, health workers and employees who are doing their duty to fight the coronavirus and to serve the citizens of Kurdistan," he said in a message published to Facebook on Friday night.

"We pledge to continue our fight against the coronavirus..and to uphold everyone's committment to health guidelines at home," the minister added. 

There are now 47 confirmed cases in the Kurdistan Region. One person has died and 13 have made a full recovery. 

Around 1,630 people remain in quarantine.

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Five more people have died from coronavirus in Turkey, according to the country's health minister. 

"We have lost five patients who are elderly and with a weak resistance," Fahrettin Koca wrote on Twitter on Friday evening.

The death toll  in Turkey now stands at nine, with 670 confirmed cases of coronavirus, according to state-owned Anadolu Agency.

The number of cases has doubled every day since Sunday, the health minister added.

Turkey has closed some of its borders with neighbouring countries in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus, as well as placing pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia into quarantine. 

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged citizens, especially the elderly, to stay at home amid the pandemic. 

"You should increase the social distance as much as possible and most importantly, you should never go out of the house unless you have to," he said in a voice message published to Twitter. 

Mosques across the country are closed for mass prayer, while schools and universities have also been closed. Restaurants, cafes, cinemas and other event venues are also shut.
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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.
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