24-04-2020
23:48
Erbil sees first new COVID-19 case in 12 days
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A 40-year-old woman in Erbil province's Bahirka district tested positive for coronavirus late Friday, according to the Kurdistan Region Government (KRG) health ministry.
This is the first new case of coronavirus in Erbil, after almost two weeks of no new cases.
The Kurdistan Region has reported a total of 341 cases. This includes 312 recoveries and four deaths.
The KRG's interior ministry extended the lockdown to May 1, but granted local governments the authority to ease the lockdown, leading to the reopening of most of businesses and the removal of most of checkpoints inside and outside cities.
However, the KRG health minister warned late Thursday that the easing of the lockdown does not mean the end of the virus.
"The new measures are aimed at serving the public, and do not mean the disease is at an end. The COVID-19 threat is not over yet. We have to expect its spread at any moment, and we have to continue preventing and confronting corona[virus] and adhere to health instructions,” he said.
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This is the first new case of coronavirus in Erbil, after almost two weeks of no new cases.
The Kurdistan Region has reported a total of 341 cases. This includes 312 recoveries and four deaths.
The KRG's interior ministry extended the lockdown to May 1, but granted local governments the authority to ease the lockdown, leading to the reopening of most of businesses and the removal of most of checkpoints inside and outside cities.
However, the KRG health minister warned late Thursday that the easing of the lockdown does not mean the end of the virus.
"The new measures are aimed at serving the public, and do not mean the disease is at an end. The COVID-19 threat is not over yet. We have to expect its spread at any moment, and we have to continue preventing and confronting corona[virus] and adhere to health instructions,” he said.
22:34
Iraq records 31 new COVID-19 cases, 33 recoveries: health ministry
An Iraqi Kurdish family prays in their home on the first day if the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on April 24, 2020, in Erbil. Photo: Safin Hamed
Thirty-one people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Iraq in the last 24 hours, the country's health ministry has announced in a statement.
While 27 cases were recorded in federal Iraq, the Kurdistan Region has identified four new cases in the past 24 hours, including three in the province of Duhok and one in Sulaimani.
The new cases include five in Najaf province, 12 in Baghdad, two in Basra, three in Babil, one in Salahadin, two in Muthanna, as well as two in Karbala.
Iraq has identified 1,708 cases of coronavirus in the country.
The ministry also recorded three coronavirus-related fatalities, including two in Baghdad, and one in Muthanna, raising the national death count to 86.
Thirty-three more people have recovered from the virus in Iraq, bring the total number of recoveries to 1,204.
By Yasmine Mosimann
Continue Reading18:24
Turkey COVID-19 death toll rises to 2,600
A Turkish soldier wearing a protective facemask during a ceremony for the National Sovereignty and Children's Day at Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in Ankara, on April 23, 2020. Photo: Adem Altan/ AFP
Turkey reported 109 additional coronavirus deaths on Friday, bring the country's total death toll to 2,600.
Reports of 3,122 people newly testing positive for the virus have increased Turkey's COVID-19 case tally to 104,912, according to a graphic tweeted by Turkish health minister Fahrettin Koca.
Testing has surged to 830,257 after 38,351 tests were conducted over the past 24 hours, according to the same graphic.
The health ministry says a total of 21,737 patients have recovered from the virus and been discharged from medical facilities.
By Yasmine Mosimann Continue Reading
Reports of 3,122 people newly testing positive for the virus have increased Turkey's COVID-19 case tally to 104,912, according to a graphic tweeted by Turkish health minister Fahrettin Koca.
Testing has surged to 830,257 after 38,351 tests were conducted over the past 24 hours, according to the same graphic.
The health ministry says a total of 21,737 patients have recovered from the virus and been discharged from medical facilities.
By Yasmine Mosimann Continue Reading
17:13
Three Iraqis overseas die of COVID-19
An Iraqi soldiers stands guard in front of the shuttered 17 Ramadan mosque in the capital Baghdad on April 24, 2020, during the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Photo: Ahmad Al-Rubaye/ AFP
Three more Iraqis living overseas have passed away from coronavirus, says Iraq's foreign ministry, also reporting the infection of four other citizens abroad with the virus.
“Three more Iraqis died in the UK after contracting coronavirus, while five other Iraqis infected with the virus,” tweeted Ahmad al-Sahaf, the Iraqi foreign ministry's spokesperson, adding within the same twitter thread that, “two Iraqis have been infected in Canada, one in Russia, one in the UK, and one in India.”
So far, 247 Iraqis living abroad have tested positive for COVID-19. This includes 31 people who died from virus-related complications, and 59 who have recovered.
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.
Iraqi and Kurdish nationals stranded overseas following the closure of airports and borders have urged the federal and regional governments to help them return.
More than a 1000 Iraqi nationals have been repatriated after having been left stranded abroad when governments worldwide imposed COVID-19 containment measures, including the closure of airports.
Baghdad imposed a coronavirus lockdown on March 17, and then extended it until April 11 on March 26.
As part of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority banned commercial passenger flights on March 17, recently extending the ban until May 22.
Iraq eased lockdown restriction on April 20, as the curfew across Iraq’s governorates – with the exception of the Kurdistan Region’s four provinces – will remain in place from 7pm to 6am between April 21 and May 22, with a complete lockdown on Fridays and Saturdays.
Iraq has a total of 1,678 cases, including those in the Kurdistan Region. To date, 1,171 people have recovered, and 83 have died in the country.
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“Three more Iraqis died in the UK after contracting coronavirus, while five other Iraqis infected with the virus,” tweeted Ahmad al-Sahaf, the Iraqi foreign ministry's spokesperson, adding within the same twitter thread that, “two Iraqis have been infected in Canada, one in Russia, one in the UK, and one in India.”
So far, 247 Iraqis living abroad have tested positive for COVID-19. This includes 31 people who died from virus-related complications, and 59 who have recovered.
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.
Iraqi and Kurdish nationals stranded overseas following the closure of airports and borders have urged the federal and regional governments to help them return.
More than a 1000 Iraqi nationals have been repatriated after having been left stranded abroad when governments worldwide imposed COVID-19 containment measures, including the closure of airports.
Baghdad imposed a coronavirus lockdown on March 17, and then extended it until April 11 on March 26.
As part of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority banned commercial passenger flights on March 17, recently extending the ban until May 22.
Iraq eased lockdown restriction on April 20, as the curfew across Iraq’s governorates – with the exception of the Kurdistan Region’s four provinces – will remain in place from 7pm to 6am between April 21 and May 22, with a complete lockdown on Fridays and Saturdays.
Iraq has a total of 1,678 cases, including those in the Kurdistan Region. To date, 1,171 people have recovered, and 83 have died in the country.
16:55
Duhok records 2 new COVID-19 cases
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Two more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Duhok province on Friday. This is the third case identified in Duhok after the province celebrated "victory" over the virus on Wednesday.
A 77-year old man and his eight-year-old grandson, who live in Duhok city, tested positive for coronavirus, according to a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government's health ministry.
It did not elaborate whether these people were quarantined or not.
The province celebrated "victory" over the virus on Wednesday after all of its 15 patients recovered but due to the use of weapons in the celebration 13 people were injured.
One day later, the ministry recorded first case after the celebrations.
The province has identified 18 cases now, of which 15 have recovered.
The Kurdistan Region has reported a total of 341 cases. This includes 312 recoveries and four deaths.
The KRG's interior ministry extended the lockdown to May 1, but granted local governments the authority to ease the lockdown, leading to the reopening of most of businesses and the removal of most of checkpoints inside and outside cities.
However, the KRG health minister warned late Thursday that the easing of the lockdown does not mean the end of the virus.
"The new measures are aimed at serving the public, and do not mean the disease is at an end. The COVID-19 threat is not over yet. We have to expect its spread at any moment, and we have to continue preventing and confronting corona[virus] and adhere to health instructions,” he said.
By Karwan Faidhi Dri
Continue Reading16:08
April 24: Latest COVID-19 updates from the Kurdistan Region and beyond
Turkish Minister of Youth and Sports, Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoglu (L), Turkish National Defence Minister Hulusi Akar(C) and Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul(R), wear a protective facemask as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus), during a special session at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara on April 23, 2020. Photo: Adem Altan/ AFP
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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.
Catch up on past updates here
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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.
Catch up on past updates here
Continue Reading