A group of 166 Iraqi Army soldiers returning to their homes in the Kurdistan Region province of Duhok after completing a tour of duty have not been allowed to enter the province due to the regional government's COVID-19 inter-provincial travel bans. 

The soldiers were returning to Duhok on Saturday from duty in the town of al-Shirqat, Saladin province. But with a KRG interior ministry ban on travel to Kurdistan Region provinces from the rest of Iraq in place to curb the spread of coronavirus, the troops have been prevented from entering their home province. 

“We have been stuck between Erbil and Duhok. We've been lying on sand for two nights without food and water,” said soldier Abdullah Khalil.

The soldiers have been told they will be quarantined and tested before being allowed to return home. 

“A [medical] committee came from Erbil and did two tests for us," soldier Qaeed Majeed said. "They also took our fingerprint and asked about our address and contact number.”

Hamid Bakir, another soldier, said the KRG has promised their return to their families once they test negative.

Brwa Faruq, an official in the Duhok province town of Bardarash, said province governor Farhad Atrushi has agreed to allow their entry "after they have been quarantined and monitored as per medical guidelines. If they have no [medical] issues, they can enter.”

Duhok has so far been left relatively unscathed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the Kurdistan Region's 288 cases, just 15 have been recorded in Duhok. Twelve of the 15 infected have recovered, provinical health authorities said earlier today. 

By Karwan Faidhi Dri 
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Turkey has recorded 3,892 COVID-19 infections and 76 deaths in the last 24 hours, health minister Fahrettin Koca told reporters in Ankara on Tuesday evening, as well as 256 recoveries.

Today’s cases bring the COVID-19 infection total in Turkey to 34,109, with 752 deaths and 1,582 recoveries recorded to date. 

Authorities have recently stepped up their coronavirus detection capabilities, doubling its daily test numbers from close to 10,000 in March to just over 20,000 today. It aims to "soon" test 30,000 people a day. 

Particular age groups have been targeted with movement restrictions in a bid to contain spread of the virus, with lockdown orders issued for those under 20 and the over 65s. 

Koca said in today's press conference that data proves that no age is fully guarded against the lethal virus. 

"We are now witnessing the loss of patients who are at a young age. Age should not be perceived as a guarantee."  

With Turkey’s cultural, economic and touristic center of Istanbul remaining the epicenter of the pandemic in the country, two hospitals are to be built in the province, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a televised speech on Monday.

By Karwan Faidhi Dri  Continue Reading

Duhok province came agonisingly close to being free of COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, until three members of a family who recently returned from the United Kingdom were confirmed to have contracted the virus.

On Tuesday morning, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) health ministry announced COVID-19 infection of a 10-month-old child and their 31-year-old parents, all of whom had recently returned from the UK. The family have since been quarantined. 

A few hours later, local health officials declared that all 12 people confirmed to have contracted the virus prior to today had recovered. 

The province has to date been left relatively unscathed by the coronavirus pandemic. While Sulaimani's first case was recorded on March 1 and Erbil's on March 6, Duhok officially remained COVID-19 free until March 19. 

Duhok’s first case was a senior security official who had returned from abroad on March 14 but allegedly refused to be quarantined. He tested positive for the virus five days later and was subsequently dismissed from his position as the head of Ibrahim Khalil border crossing security for refusal to submit to quarantine upon entry into the Region. 

To date, 288 novel coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Kurdistan Region, including three deaths and 105 recoveries, the KRG health ministry said on Tuesday afternoon.

By Karwan Faidhi Dri 
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Iraq's health ministry on Tuesday announced 91 new COVID-19 cases and one death.

Forty-four cases were documented in Najaf province, 21 in Baghdad, six in Basra, five in Dhi Qar, five in Erbil, three in  Sulaimani, three in Duhok, two in Muthanna, one in Diyala, and one in Wasit. 

The one death was recorded in Baghdad.

Twenty-nine people have today recovered from COVID-19 in Iraq, including 16 in Sulaimani, five in Karbala, four in Basra, two in Diwaniyah, one in Wasit, and one in Erbil.

To date, 1,122 cases have been recorded in Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region. Of those infected, 65 have died and 373 have recovered.

By Lawk Ghafuri Continue Reading

Erbil's judicial authorities have issued arrest warrants for five people they suspect of having organized a wake at which dozens of attendees contracted the COVID-19 virus.

The March 21 wake was one of two to take place in Erbil's Karezan neighbourhood in the space of three days. Mourners from across the city attended both ceremonies, leading to the infection of at least 72 people, according to KRG Health Minister Dr Saman Barzanji.

"Following a lawsuit filed by the Public Prosecutor, arrest warrants have been issued for five people who organized a mourning ceremony on March 21 which led to the infection to several people with coronavirus," Hemin Qadir, spokesperson for Erbil's Operation Room crisis cell told Rudaw on Tuesday. 

As the COVID-19 case count climbed in Erbil - with 41 cases confirmed on Monday alone - the interior ministry decided to place 11 neighbourhoods under quarantine. They are Karezan, Altun City, Zilan City, Zhian, Kani Gali, Sheikh Ahmed, Zanko, Chinar, Mamostayan, Gulan 124 and Badawa 94. 

Some of the five named in the warrants are subject to the 14-day quarantine, while others have been hospitalised after testing positive for the virus. Their arrest will only take place once the quarantine ends, or once they have recovered. 

Issue of the warrants follows a vow made by KRG interior minister Reber Ahmed late on Monday that anyone found to be responsible for organising the wakes would face arrest.

To date, 288 novel coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Kurdistan Region, including three deaths and 105 recoveries, the KRG health ministry said on Tuesday afternoon. 

By Karwan Faidhi Dri  Continue Reading

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has called on the Muslim community to kneel, pray, and cry for 30 minutes on Friday to ask god to remove the coronavirus.

Sadr, who bafflingly blamed the pandemic on the legalization of gay marriage, tweeted a directive on Tuesday urging the Islamic community to cleanse itself of the virus through tears and prayer. 

“You should kneel in tears and beg for the sake of removing the Islamic nation from this pandemic for 30 minutes immediately after this Friday prayer time,” he said.

Virus symptoms vary from a mild cough and fever to pneumonia, making the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions particularly vulnerable. There is currently no vaccine.

Places of worship have been closed down across the globe to prevent an outbreak among congregations. Religious leaders have nevertheless encouraged their followers to pray and volunteer. 

Some religious communities have stubbornly continued to meet, however, further spreading the virus. 

Coronavirus has spread across the world, piling pressure on local health systems, devastating economies, and forcing billions to stay indoors. 

Iraq and the Kurdistan Region surpassed 1,000 coronavirus cases on Monday. Of these, 64 have died and 344 have recovered.

By Lawk Ghafuri 

 

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A delegation from Iraq’s Ministry of Health arrived to China on Tuesday to  transport medical equipment and supplies back to Baghdad, according to a ministry statement. 

The delegation traveled to China via an Iraqi military  airplane early on Tuesday morning to collect medical equipment which will be used to fight the novel coronavirus.

A group of Chinese experts visited Iraq last month to observe the response to the coronavirus pandemic, delivering 1000 testing kits to the Kurdistan Region.The Chinese Consulate in Erbil previously donated 300,000 face masks to support health workers in the Region.

The country, which recorded the first cases of coronavirus in the city of Wuhan last year, is now leading efforts to tackle the virus as it spreads across the globe

The delegation is expected to land in Baghdad later on Tuesday, the statement added.

1031 people have been confirmed as infected with coronavirus across Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region. Of this number, 64 have died and 344 have recovered. 

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The KRG Health Ministry has announced that 11 neighbourhoods inside Erbil city have been placed under quarantine following a surge in coronavirus cases in the Kurdistan Region capital.

KRG Health Minister Dr Saman Barzanji told Rudaw that 72 people across the affected neighbourhoods contracted the virus after attending funerals in the city's Karezan area on March 21 and 23. 

The quarantined neighborhoods include Karezan, Altun City, Zilan City, Zhian, Kani Gali, Sheikh Ahmed, Zanko, Chinar, Mamostayan, Gulan 124 and Badawa 94, the health minister added.

"Just today, another five new cases of coronavirus were recorded in Erbil including one woman from the Kani Gali neighborhood and four others in Badawa 92, including two women, a man and a child. They too have all contracted the virus from others infected at the funerals," he added.

With today's new cases, the minister put the latest confirmed cases in the Region at 288, with three dead and 105 recoveries.

By Zhelwan Z.Wali

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The KRG has announced new lockdown measures as the number of coronavirus continues to climb. Below is a summary of the announcement and details of exemptions.

Travel is banned during the hours of 6pm to midnight, with the exception of health workers and vehicles transporting patients with chronic illnesses (cancer, thalassemia, heart problems, diabetes and patients in need of dialysis) to hospital. 

Media workers and journalists are also exempt from the restrictions provided they show a support letter from their employer.

Bakeries and supermarkets are open from 8am-6pm, and gas stations are under no restrictions. 

Bakery employees are allowed to travel to work between the hours of 5-7am, and return home between 6 and 7pm. 

Pharmacies will remain open as long as they abide by health instructions and a pharmacist is present on the premises. 

Diplomats and employees of UN Agencies, Erbil International Airport, nursing homes, women shelters, prisons and the Haj Omran border crossing are permitted to travel as long as they are on duty, as are the Peshmerga and Asayesh security forces.  

Below is a full rundown of those permitted to travel and operate at certain hours: 

From 6am to 12pm

1. Trucks selling households liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and dairy produce.
2. Fruit and vegetable vendors
3. Bank, finance and government treasury employees on condition that they show their ID and work timetable
4. Vehicles delivering meat to butchers
5. Butchers, including poultry butchers 
6. Agricultural workers


From 12pm to 6pm

1. Currency exchange offices and private banks (only on Mondays and Wednesdays).
2. Vehicles delivering medicine to pharmacies
3. Bank, finance and government treasury employees on condition that they show their ID and work timetable
4. Vehicles delivering food and hygiene products to markets
5. Delivery and mail companies
6. Poultry butchers


From 12am to 6am
1. Vehicles delivering gas to local generators and suppliers
2. Veterinary workers and livestock and agricultural workers
3. Beekeeping and gardening workers
3. Generator operators and their owners

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Coronavirus has infected tens of thousands across Iran and killed almost 4,000 people. For the families left behind, the grief is made so much worse by the inability to properly mourn their loss. 

Public acts of mourning are an integral part of the grief process in Iranian culture, with large congregations and physical contact playing a big role in the funeral ritual. 

Now such congregations have become potential breeding grounds for the highly contagious coronavirus. Forced to keep their distance from one another, families are struggling to find consolation.

“On the day of the funeral, we could not even hug our mother who was not feeling well and screaming non-stop,” one young Iranian in Tehran told Fahimeh Tabatabaei, a reporter for the Hamshahri national newspaper.

“She would drop to the ground and would try to stand up with difficulty but she would stop us from going near her in case she is infected. We stood apart and sobbed,” he said over his home intercom, unable to come to the door as the neighbors fear the household is infected. 

The Assadi family lost their father to COVID-19 three weeks ago. He was buried in Tehran’s Behesht Zahra cemetery.

“During the actual burial, they [health professionals] asked us not to congregate around the grave as they buried him. They then begged us not to stay there long. There was no one to console us and the five of us did not dare get close to each other. They were bitter moments,” he said.

The experience has taken its toll on the wider family. 

“Our pregnant sister was at home and restless. Our elderly paternal uncles and our aunties were calling and crying. One of our aunties came to the front of the house and was crying. I had to go to the front door and console her and beg her to leave,” he said.

“I was left in the house with my mother. She was infected and I tried to nurse her. She is feeling better after ten days but the nightmare of dad’s death is painful.”

Sobbing through the intercom, the young man said the inability to properly mourn his father’s death has left him feeling lonely and fearful he will now lose his mother. 

“Friends and relatives offer their condolences via telephone and WhatsApp. They publish photos of dad on their Instagram. All these are heartwarming, but this loneliness and the fear of losing my mother are hurting,” he said. 

“We are not the same humans that we used to be.” 

By Fazel Hawramy 

 

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Kurdish officials in northern Syria are calling on the international community to provide medical assistance to help prevent an outbreak of COVID-19. 

On Monday, the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (NES) said it has extended its existing curfew for another 15 days. 

Briefing reporters on the latest containment measures, administration official Abdul Hamid al-Mahbash urged coalition allies and aid agencies “to provide the necessary medical and health equipment to combat the spread of this virus and spare the region from a possible humanitarian catastrophe”,  ANHA reports.

Although there are currently no confirmed coronavirus cases in Kurdish-controlled northeast Syria, known to Kurds as Rojava, authorities are acutely aware of the weakness of the health system and its vulnerability to the pandemic.   

Mahbash said they are especially concerned about the financial burden of caring for displaced civilians at the Al-Hol camp in Hasaka – home to thousands of Islamic State (ISIS) families – who live in “difficult humanitarian conditions”.

The Rojava curfew, first imposed on March 23, will now last until at least April 21. 

Mahbash said “the curfew in place has forced them to stop many service projects”.

“All these decisions are absolutely necessary, and they have contributed and will contribute effectively to limiting the transmission of this epidemic to our regions,” Mahbash added.

As of Tuesday morning, Syria has recorded 19 cases of COVID-19 and two deaths, according to World Meters. 

 

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The United Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI) has paid tribute to Iraqi workers on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19 as World Health Day is marked across the globe.

"As we celebrate World Health Day, we pay tribute to Iraqi health workers and their colleagues across the world," read a Tuesday statement published to Twitter, adding that health workers form the "backbone of the global response to the outbreak."

"Their work, strengthened by the solidarity, compassion and patience of all, will see us through this crisis," it concluded. 

Iraq has so far confirmed 1,031 cases of the virus, with 64 deaths. 70 new cases were recorded on Monday alone. Baghdad imposed a nationwide lockdown late last month in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus, but cases have continued to climb, putting a strain on local health services. 

“The ministry has issues finding places for quarantine as the number [of infected people] has increased. This has pushed us to use hotels and dormitories for this purpose,” health Minister Jaafar Allawi told state-run media last week. 

By Holly Johnston 

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Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday two hospitals each with a 1,000 bed capacity, will be built in Istanbul -- the epicentre of coronavirus cases in the country - to treat infected patients.

Turkey has recorded 649 coronavirus-related deaths and 30,217 cases according to official figures published on Monday.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said last week that more than half of the cases were registered in the country's economic capital, and largest city, Istanbul. 

Erdogan said Turkey had mobilised all its means to fight the threat, assuring there was no problem in Turkish hospitals in diagnosing and treating the disease. 

"We will complete them (the two hospitals) within 45 days and will open them to public service," Erdogan said in a televised speech.

One of the hospitals is due to be built in the area where the city's former international airport was located on the European side, and the other one-floor hospital at Sancaktepe on the Asian side of Istanbul.  

As part of tougher measures to contain the spread of the virus, Turkey has suspended international flights, banned mass prayers and gatherings and shut schools. 

"With the measures we have taken, and the additional ones, we will overcome this pandemic together with Europe and the world," the Turkish leader said. 

By Agence France-Presse (AFP) Continue Reading

At least 30,000 COVID-19 tests will be conducted on a daily basis in Turkey, announced Fahrettin Koca, the country's health minister, in a tweet. 

Turkey conducted less than 10,000 tests per day last month, but the number has gradually increased to 21,400 as of Monday evening, added Koca. 

The minister announced 3,148 more people testing positive for the virus on Tuesday, as well as 75 more deaths and 284 recoveries.

This brings Turkey's case total to 30,217, including 649 deaths and 1,326 recoveries.  

Turkey has taken a number of measures to curb the spread of the virus, however, the central government has stopped short of a total lockdown, only requiring senior citizens and those under 20 to stay at home.

By Karwan Faidhi Dri

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The current "complete lockdown" to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic will continue until midnight, says Kurdistan Regional Government's interior minister Rebar Ahmed, adding that the Region's four provincial governments should be announcing individual measures they plan on implementing for coming days tonight.

Ahmed stated that the partial lockdown will continue for 18-hours of the day until April 10 in all provinces, but with adjustments from province to province.

“From midnight to 6 PM movement [to purchase essential items] will be allowed, as per the procedures that will be announced by the provinces,” he said in a press conference in Erbil.

In these new guidelines, the complete lockdown will continue for evenings in the form of a curfew.

“Starting from Tuesday until April 10, traffic will be completely suspended for all between 6pm to 12 midnight. Members of security forces, medical teams and trade exchange are exceptions to this rule,” he added.

Ahmed claims that they have taken into consideration the provision of public essentials, such as food, medicine, and other home items, by allowing shops that sell these items to remain open. The employees of these establishments need to wear masks or else their permits will be cancelled, warned the minister.

The number of cases in Erbil skyrocketed on Monday, after 41 new people tested positive. Three people in Sulaimani tested positive as well.

This brings the total number of cases in the Kurdistan Region to 277, including 88 recoveries and three deaths.

By Karwan Faidhi Dri Continue Reading

Iraqi authorities have recorded 70 new cases of COVID-19, as well as three virus-related deaths on  Monday, according to the health ministry. 

Of the new cases, nine were documented in the province of Basra, seven in  Dhi Qar, four in Najaf, four in Baghdad, three in Sulaimani, and two in Karbala province.

Most significantly, these numbers includes the 41 new cases in Erbil, first reported earlier by the Kurdistan Regional Government's health ministry earlier on Monday. 

Of the three deaths, two were recorded in Basra, and one in Baghdad.

The health ministry also reports the recovery of sixty-five people from the virus, including 26 in Najaf, 12 in  Baghdad, 11 in Sulaimani, ten in Basra, three in Wasit, two in  Erbil, and one in Duhok. 

The number of confirmed cases in Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region, have reached 1031. Of these, 64 have died and 344 have recovered.

By Lawk Ghafuri 
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Iranian health authorities confirmed 60,500 COVID-19 cases on Monday afternoon. The death toll in Iran now stands at 3,739. So far, 24,236 people have recovered.

 

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Kurdish health authorities confirmed 41 new COVID-19 cases in Erbil province on Monday, including 17 women, 15 men, and nine children. 

The leap in cases comes despite strict lockdown measures imposed by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

There are now 274 confirmed coronavirus infections in the Kurdistan Region. 

By Sarkawt Mohammed 

 

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Continuing to impose sanctions on Iran while its people battle the coronavirus pandemic is “wrong and callous”, a human rights monitor told US officials on Monday.

US sanctions have devastated Iran’s economy, leaving the country especially vulnerable to the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected 58,226 people and killed 3,603 as of Sunday afternoon.

Calling for the sanctions to be lifted, Ken Roth, executive director of the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), also urged the Iranian regime to direct all available resources into public health. 

“It’s bad enough that Iranians are saddled with a brutal, self-serving government that refuses to even release wrongfully detained people in crowded prisons despite the risk of coronavirus,” Roth said. 

“But it is wrong and callous for the Trump administration to compound Iranians’ misery by depriving them of access to the critical medical resources they urgently need.”

The Iranian government should make use of every available resource to respond to the outbreak in a way that respects human rights and minimizes harm to health and well-being, HRW said.

Washington has piled sanctions on Iran since withdrawing from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – known as the Iran nuclear deal – in May 2018. 

Although US sanctions do not apply to humanitarian supplies, they have had a chilling effect on many firms who are wary of falling foul of the restrictions.

Iranians are struggling to obtain essential medicines and equipment, including gloves and masks for health workers.

There are now growing calls for Washington to ease sanctions pressure on Iran to help it overcome one of the world’s worst coronavirus outbreaks.

“The US government should ensure that financial sanctions imposed on Iran are clearly and publicly interpreted to permit the shipment of anything the Iranian people need to protect themselves from the coronavirus,” Roth added.

Tensions remain high between Washington and Tehran. Many feared an all-out war in January when Iran’s Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani was assassinated in a US drone strike near Baghdad airport, prompting Iran to launch retaliatory missile strikes against US forces stationed in Iraq.

Soleimani had far-reaching influence over Iraq’s powerful Shiite paramilitia groups, widely held responsible for the recent spate of rocket attacks on US diplomatic, economic, and military infrastructure in Iraq. 

By Robert Edwards 

 

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Nechirvan Barzani, the Kurdistan Region president, thanked the public on Monday for respecting the strict new lockdown measures imposed to halt the spread of COVID-19 and the key workers who helped implement them.

In a social media post on Monday morning, shortly before the 48-hour total lockdown was due to be lifted, Barzani said he was “proud” of their contribution.

“I thank the citizens and residents of the Kurdistan Region for staying at home and adhering to the regulations,” Barzani said. 

“Special thanks to the health workers, the Peshmerga, the airport and border guards, the security forces and the media, and all the heroes who did not give up to protect Kurdistan from the coronavirus.”

“We are proud of you,” he added. 

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) imposed a much stricter version of its existing lockdown at midday on Saturday, demanding the closure of all businesses and ordering the public off the streets for 48 hours.

The stricter measures were brought into force on Saturday after a growing number of people were caught violating the restrictions and health officials detected a further spike in the number of COVID-19 cases. 

On Saturday, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani urged the public to respect his government’s measures. 

“As difficult as it is, we have taken this action after a rise in curfew violations and coronavirus cases,” the prime minister said in a series of tweets. 

“We Kurdistanis are no strangers to hardships, and through small sacrifices now, we will prevail.” 

“By acting as one, we will save lives, make our recovery easier, and win our war against COVID-19,” he added. 

By Robert Edwards 

 

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Turkish troops deployed in northern Syria will reduce their movements in the coming weeks to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19, the Turkish defense ministry said in a statement Sunday. 

“From the first moment, our troops in the Syrian Operation Regions have been regulated to make entry and exit to the Operation Areas with the permission of the Army Commander, so that personnel and troop movements are reduced to a minimum unless it is mandatory,” the ministry said. 

Turkey has long supported rebel factions in Syria against the regime of Bashar al-Assad, which launched a brutal new offensive in December to retake the last opposition holdout of Idlib. 

Ankara has sent ground forces into Syria several times in recent years – in 2016 to fight Islamic State (ISIS) jihadists and in 2018 and 2019 to fight the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). 

More recently, Turkish troops and their Syrian proxy militias have clashed with the Russian-backed regime itself in Idlib.

Assad forced attacked Turley’s military observation posts earlier this year, established in the province under the terms of the 2018 Sochi deconfliction deal. 

Turkey retaliated, destroyed Syrian military hardware and killing scores of soldiers. 

The latest ceasefire deal brokered by Turkey and Russia appears to be holding, yet the offensive has already send hundreds of thousands of civilians fleeing to the Turkish border, where they now reside in makeshift camps. 

Aid agencies fear Syria’s shattered health system, mass displacement, and overcrowded jails leave the nation especially vulnerable to an outbreak of COVID-19 and lacking the resources to tackle it.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres recently called on all warring parties in all of the world’s conflict zones to observe a period of ceasefire while humanity fights the common enemy of COVID-19. 

By Robert Edwards 

 

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Iraq's caretaker Prime Minister has called on President Barham Salih to release some of the country's prisoners early in a bid to limit the spread of coronavirus. 

In a letter sent on Sunday, Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi asked Salih to release prisoners who have served over half of their jail sentence, have less than a year left to serve, or received sentences of less than a year. 

The caretaker premier's call excluded prisoners detained and sentenced for terrorism, tribal warfare, assassinations, rape, human trafficking, drug related crimes, money laundering, and other serious crimes. 

The order also includes foreigners detained in Iraq for residency permit issues. 

If approved by the president, the release order is to be implemented by Iraq’s justice ministry.

Amid fears overcrowded prisons will become breeding grounds for COVID-19, governments worldwide  have released convicts held for smaller-scale crimes. 

By Lawk Ghafuri  Continue Reading

Iraq’s Health Minister Jaafar Alawi met with several European Union officials via video conference call on Sunday to discuss his government's efforts to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Iraq is employing an "offensive strategy" against COVID-19, Alawi told the European officials, but requires their assistance to combat the pandemic.

In total, 820 COVID-19 cases have been recorded in Iraq, including 54 deaths and 226 recoveries.

Though Iraq's case and death toll are low relative to those of what the World Health Organisation (WHO) calls the European "epicenter" of the pandemic, WHO has said it expects their spike "in the coming two weeks" as laboratories in the country scale expand their testing capacity.

By Lawk Ghafuri  Continue Reading

Turkey's health minister on Sunday announced 73 new COVID-19 deaths over the last 24 hours, bringing the country's death toll from the virus to 574.

The country's COVID-19 case total rose to 27,069, according to figures published by health minister Fahrettin Koca. There have been 1,042 recoveries from the virus. Continue Reading

Two more Iraqis outside of the country have died after contracting the COVID-19 virus, Baghdad announced on Sunday, with 12 others newly confirmed to be infected.

One Iraqi died in Belgium and another in the United Kingdom, Iraqi foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmad al-Sahaf said in a tweet thread on Sunday. 

"Twelve other Iraqis have been infected with the virus in different countries around the world,” Sahaf said. “Ten Iraqis were infected in Denmark, one in Finland, and another Iraqi in Saudi Arabia.”

Seven Iraqis abroad were confimed to have died and 157 others infected by last Friday, when the foreign ministry last issued a statement on the subject.

In total, COVID-19 has infected 172 Iraqis overseas and killed nine. Four of the Iraqis died in the UK, two in Sweden, one in the Netherlands, one in Germany, and one in Belgium.
 
Back home, 820 COVID-19 cases and 54 deaths have been recorded by Iraqi authorities to date; of those infected, 226 people have recovered. 

By Lawk Ghafuri 
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Iraqi authorities recorded 83 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths on Sunday, according to the health ministry. 

By province, 27 cases were documented in Baghdad province, ten in Basra, six in Najaf, six in Muthanna, five in Diyala, four in Karbala, four in Kirkuk, one in Dhi Qar,one in Babil, and one in the Kurdistan Region province of Sulaimani.

The 83 cases include the 18 recorded in Erbil and announced by the Kurdistan Regional Government health ministry earlier on Sunday. 

Of the five deaths, two were recorded in Baghdad, one in Najaf, one in Sulaimani, and one in Diyala. 

Twenty people have recovered, including eight in Karbala, five in Najaf, two in Basra, two in Baghdad, one in Diyala, one in Muthana, and one in Babil. 

The number of cases in Iraq including the Kurdistan Region now totals 961. Of these, 61 have died and 279 have recovered.

By Lawk Ghafuri 
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In a loosening of some restrictive regulations to combat the spread of COVID-19, "medium and low-risk businesses" in Iran are to be allowed to resume in-house operations from next week, President Hassan Rouhani announced on Sunday.

A new "Smart Distancing" programme was discussed at a session of the National Task Force for Fighting Coronavirus on Sunday, according to a statement by Rouhani published by the official President.ir website.

“Today, we decided to use a step-by-step process to reopen the activities, and it was the suggestion of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education that the activities should begin gradually,” read the statement. "It was decided that from April 11, the country's provinces can start businesses; this was about medium and low-risk businesses, but high-risk businesses are still banned until the April 19, for which decision will be made later."

"Risky businesses like sports centres and activities that require a large population are still banned until further notice," the statement added.

Schools and universities are to remain shut until April 18, continuing to teach classes online. Religious and cultural events will also banned until the same day, as will intercity, non-essential commercial traffic.

Rouhani insisted in the statement that the resumption of these "medium and low-risk" activities is not a sign of a government not taking self-isolation or social distancing to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus seriously.

“Starting these activities does not mean that we have violated or forgotten the principle of staying at home, and again those who do not need to be present on the street and in society, are preferred to look after themselves and stay home,” he added.
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The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Iran - the country hardest hit by the pandemic in the Middle East - reached 58,226 as of Sunday midday, according to Iran’s Health Ministry spokesman, Kianoush Jahanpour.

In the course of the past 24 hours, the country witnessed 151 more deaths, raising the national total to 3,603, Jahanpour added.

A total of 2,483 more cases have tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours.

According to the health ministry spokesperson a total of 22,011 people have recovered from the virus, and 4,057 patients remain in critical condition.

To the present date, more than 69 million Iranians have been screened for COVID-19, he added.

By Zhelwan Z. Wali Continue Reading

According to the latest updates provided by Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) authorities, 18 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Erbil, while 11 have recovered from the virus in Sulaimani on Sunday.

The new cases in Erbil include eight men, six women and four children, Health Minister Saman Barzangy announced at a press conference on Sunday.

Barzangy claims that these new cases were caused by social contact at two mourning ceremonies on March 21 and 23 in Erbil's eastern neighborhood of Karezan. He says 32 cases overall can be traced back to these gatherings. 

More tests for people who attended the mourning ceremonies are still underway, according to Barzangy.

“With the increasing number of cases, our hospital [specialized for COVID-19 patents] in Erbil will be full soon. So we are planning to have Rizgari hospital take in coronavirus patients.” Barzangy added.

In a separate announcement on Sunday, Sabah Hawrami, head of Sulaimani's Health Department said 11 people have recovered from the virus and will be discharged from hospital.

"The majority of the coronavirus patients in Sulaimani are in very good health," Hawrami added.

Sunday's new figures raise the region's COVID-19 case tally to 232, including three deaths.

Eighty-five have recovered including 62 in Sulaimani, 17 in Erbil and 6 in Duhok, according to Minister Barzangy.

Out of all current cases in the Kurdistan Region, only one person in Sulaimani requires intensive care at the moment, says the minister.

By Zhelwan Z. Wali

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The Turkish Health Ministry announced that coronavirus fatalities nationwide have risen to 501 as of Saturday night, after 76 more people died of the virus yesterday.

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 23,934, as 3,013 more people tested positive for the virus yesterday, according to data provided by Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Twitter.

A total of 786 patients have recovered and 1,311 patients are currently under intensive care, Koca added.

The recovery rate has a significantly risen, according to state-run Anadolu Agency.

The Turkish government has launched a fundraising campaign which urges the public to donate money to help pay for the costs of the costly health measures being taken to curb the spread of the virus.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced late Friday that they have been able to gather a sum of 1,061 billion lira so far, thanking the public for their donations.

Confirmed cases of coronavirus exceed 1.2 million globally as of Sunday morning, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

By Zhelwan Z. Wali Continue Reading

Masrour Barzani, the Kurdistan Region prime minister, urged the public on Saturday to respect his government’s strict new measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus just hours after a complete lockdown came into force. 

“We Kurdistanis are no strangers to hardships, and through small sacrifices now, we will prevail,” Barzani said in a series of tweets. 

“By acting as one, we will save lives, make our recovery easier, and win our war against COVID-19.”

Barzani said a “rise in curfew violations” forced the government to impose the complete lockdown.  

“As difficult as it is, we have taken this action after a rise in curfew violations and coronavirus cases,” he said. 

Since midday on Saturday, businesses have been ordered to close and all traffic has been suspended across the Kurdistan Region for a period of 48 hours. 

Security forces, health workers, and media employees are exempted from the order.

“You must not leave your homes,” Barzani said. “We are in this fight together.”

Public compliance “is essential”, he added.

As of Saturday night, the total number of coronavirus cases in the Kurdistan Region has reached 214. Of this number, 74 have recovered and three have died.

 

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Over the past 24 hours, authorities have confirmed ten new cases of COVID-19 across the Kurdistan Region, raising the total number of infections to 214, according to a statement from the health ministry.

Officials have carried out 528 tests over the past 24 hours, including 342 in Erbil province, 122 in Sulaimani province, and 70 in Halabja province.

Six of the new cases were detected in Erbil city, including four women aged 49, 32, 20, and 15, a 13-year-old boy, and a three-month-old baby, according to health ministry statement number 37.

Three cases were recorded in Halabja province, including two men aged 37 and 30 and a child aged one. 

The latest case in Sulaimani is a 41-year-old man.

The Kurdistan Region has fortunately had a very low death rate, with two fatalities and 74 recoveries.

 

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Kurdistan Region interior minister Reber Ahmed said Saturday that the implementation of the 48-hour "complete" coronavirus curfew is to give the government time to revise exploitable exemptions to the previous version of the lockdown. 

“Some people do not sufficiently understand the extent of the threat of the virus,” Ahmed said in a joint press conference with health minister Saman Barzanji in Erbil. 

At one checkpoint, 90 of a total of 600 passengers displayed media IDs within the space of an hour, Ahmed said. 

The previous lockdown was "exploited" by those who were granted exemptions - behaviour that will no longer be tolerated, he said.

Security forces, health workers, media sector workers and people with urgent needs have been exempted from the lockdown in its previous forms. 

The ministry awaits recommendations from the local governments of Erbil, Sulaimani, Duhok and Halabja provinces to reshape the previous lockdown and encourage adherence.

Health workers were among those being stopped at checkpoints today after the new lockdown took effect. Ahmed said this issue has been resolved, as the health ministry will send its employees' rotas to the interior ministry.

Health minister Barzanji told reporters that had the KRG not taken such strict measures, there would be more cases of the virus recorded, and healthcare facilities would be so overwhelmed by cases that "we would treat patients outside hospitals." 

He urged the public to adhere to the lockdown measures to avoid an escalation in COVID-19 incidences. 

“The effect of gathering might appear in the coming weeks. If we allowed people to go out, there would be thousands of cases in our region,” he added.
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Iran saw 2,560 new cases of COVID-19 and 158 deaths recorded in the last 24 hours, health ministry spokesperson Kianoush Jahanpour announced on Saturday afternoon. 

A total of 55,743 COVID-19 cases have been recorded in Iran, and the death toll of those who have contracted the virus now stands at 3,452. 

There have been 19,736 recoveries from COVID-19, while 4,103 people remain in a serious condition, Jahanpour added.  
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All vehicle and pedestrian movement has been “completely” banned in the Kurdistan Region as of midday today, in accordance with a decree issued on Friday night by the interior ministry. 

Shops, bakeries and all other businesses are to remain shut for 48 hours. A limited number of pharmacies are exempt from the ban, as are people working in the healthcare and media sectors and in the security forces.

In the hours after the announcement of unprecedentedly strict measures, people flocked to markets and bakeries to buy goods before the lockdown came into effect.


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Good morning, Shahla here - we'll start with an update from last night:

A total of 48 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Iraq over the course of Thursday evening and Friday, according to a statement from the Iraqi health ministry.

The total includes the 14 cases announced by the Kurdistan Region health ministry on Friday. 

No deaths were recorded in the 24 hours prior to the statement's release, while 24 people recovered. 

In total, 820 COVID-19 cases have been recorded in Iraq, including 54 deaths. To date, 226 people have recovered from the virus. 

Doubt has been cast on the accuracy of Iraq official case count, with a Reuters News Agency report released Thursday claiming cases have been drastically underreported and instead number in the thousands. 

Baghdad slammed the report's use of "vague sources" and "fake news", temporarily revoked the the agency's credentials, and issued a $20,000 penalty. The government's response has been condemned by the UN and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an international press freedom organisation. 
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Each COVID-19 patient in Istanbul province infects 16 others, according to Turkish health minister Fahrettin Koca. 

As the epicenter of the virus, Istanbul now has 12,231 confirmed cases and is followed by Izmir (1,105) and the capital city of Ankara (860). 

2,786 new cases were confirmed by Koca in a press conference in Ankara, bringing the nationwide number to 20,921. 

The minister also announced 69 new deaths and 69 new recoveries. The total number of the deaths is 425 and 484 recoveries.

As the cultural, historical and political capital of Turkey, Istanbul is visited by millions of tourists annually. 

Its mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, said in a tweet on late Friday that as per the data revealed by the minister, there was a 40 percent increase in the number of cases in Istanbul compared to Wednesday when Istanbul had 8,852 cases.  

He reiterated his Thursday call in which he urged the government to announce a lockdown in Istanbul. 

Ankara currently conducts over 15,000 tests per day across the country. 

The government has launched a fundraising campaign which calls on the public to donate money to help it pay the costs of the health measures needed to curb the spread of the virus.  

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said late Friday that they have been able to gather a total amount of 1,061 billion lira so far, thanking the public for their donations.  Continue Reading

Vehicle and pedestrian movement will be “completely banned" in the Kurdistan Region from midday on Saturday, the KRG has announced. 

Shops, bakeries and all other services will also be shut except for a limited number of pharmacies, according to a decree by the Region’s interior ministry. 

Effective midday on Saturday, the decree also cancels all permission previously given to people to travel between 1 - 6 am. 

This excludes security forces and health workers, however, they must only travel when on-duty or risk facing punishment. 
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan  introduced strict measures late Friday to curb the further spread of coronavirus, which has claimed 425 lives across the country.

Members of the public under 20 years of age will no longer be allowed outside, except in cases of emergency, and face-masks must be worn in public places, including stores. 

Erdogan added that he expects everyone "to take their own quarantine" and stay at home.

The president also announced a 15-day ban on vehicle movement between 31 provinces,  including Istanbul, as well as in the urban centers of Ankara, Izmir Bursa and Adana.
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The KRG’s Health Ministry has almost doubled the number of  daily coronavirus tests in recent days as 14 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed on Friday. 

Eight cases are in Sulaimani province, three in Erbil province and another three in Halabja province, according to the 35th statement from the ministry.

In the last 24 hours, more than 1,000 coronavirus tests have been conducted throughout the region- with  829 tests in Erbil, 122 in Sulaimani and 89 in Duhok, compared to 500 total tests on Monday. 

204 people in total have tested positive for the virus.  

Two people have so far died from the virus and 62 have recovered. 

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States must lift unilateral economic sanctions that obstruct the humanitarian response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a UN expert said Friday. 

Countries like Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Syria, and Yemen are all struggling under strict economic sanctions. 

Calls have grown in recent weeks for the US and others to ease the financial pressure to allow these nations to better respond to the coronavirus outbreak. 

“I urge the international community to take immediate measures to lift, or at least suspend, all sanctions until our common threat is eliminated,” said Alena Douhan, the newly appointed UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, in a statement. 

“I call on all Governments that use sanctions as foreign-relation tools to immediately withdraw measures aimed at establishing trade barriers, and ban tariffs, quotas, non-tariff measures, including those which prevent financing the purchase of medicine, medical equipment, food, other essential goods,” she added.

In the case of Iran, Washington has piled on sanctions since withdrawing from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – known as the Iran nuclear deal – in May 2018. 

Iran’s oil and finance sectors have been squeezed and several top officials have seen their US assets frozen.

The sanctions have devastated Iran’s economy, leaving the country especially vulnerable to the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than 50,000 people and killed at least 3,000. 

Iranians are struggling to obtain essential medicines and equipment, including gloves and masks for health workers, according to Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Although US sanctions do not apply to humanitarian supplies, they have had a chilling effect on many firms who are wary of falling foul of the restrictions.

“A sensitive human-rights approach is needed to confront the COVID-19 crisis, and that includes the lifting of any coercive measures among States,” Douhan said.

“This is a matter of utmost importance and great urgency. The COVID-19 virus does not choose. It crosses borders easily and targets people regardless of nationality, race, political approaches, religion or social status.” 

“Sanctioned countries are especially hard-hit as they cannot use their revenues to purchase imports of equipment, medicines, antiviral and food from global markets,” she added.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appeared to wobble when asked whether Washington would consider easing the pressure on Iran. 

Confronted with the issue during a press conference, Pompeo said: “We evaluate all of our policies constantly, so the answer is – would we ever rethink? – Of course.”

On Thursday, Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden urged the White House to ease the sanctions.

“It makes no sense, in a global health crisis, to compound that failure with cruelty by inhibiting access to needed humanitarian assistance,” Biden said in a statement.

“Artificially limiting the flow of international humanitarian assistance to pursue a political point will not only allow the Iranian government to deflect responsibility for its own botched response, it will increase the threat this virus poses to the American people, now and in the future,” he added.

 

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Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, the World Health Organization (WHO)’s director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, says governments should be more proactive in their containment polices and the public must respect social distancing rules to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. 

In just one week, the number of COVID-19 cases in the Eastern Mediterranean Region has almost doubled from 32,442 cases on March 26 to 58,168 on April 2, Al-Mandhari said in a statement on Thursday. 

“I cannot stress enough the urgency of the situation. We have a window of opportunity to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our Region, and we need to act quickly,” he said.

“Government leadership is vital. A whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach are absolutely necessary for an effective response.” 

The WHO official called on regional governments to implement “more aggressive” testing, tracing, and isolation measures. 

“These actions are critical to controlling and reducing transmission of the disease and changing the course of this pandemic,” Al-Mandhari said.

He also called for much better protections for health workers exposed to the disease.

Containment is not just the job of governments, however, the WHO official said. The public must maintain stricter physical distancing practices and more stringent hygiene behaviours to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

“Stay home, stay safe is not just a slogan – it is a life-saving reminder,” Al-Mandhari said. 

“Anyone showing suspected symptoms of fever and cough must self-isolate, avoid all contact with others, and quickly seek medical care if they have trouble breathing.”

The WHO is working with governments and aid agencies to halt the spread of the virus in displacement camps, where living conditions make social distancing and hygiene policies difficult to implement. 

“We still have a window of opportunity, but this window is slowly closing day by day,” Al-Mandhari said.

“Our regional vision is based on safeguarding the health of all people by all people, so countries, communities, and individuals have an equally important role to play.”

“COVID-19 can only be controlled using aggressive, appropriate measures, and an inclusive approach that is built around solidarity and action, protecting every individual’s rights to life and health. We cannot allow this virus to take hold of our Region,” he added.

 

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Sixty-six business leaders, lawmakers, bankers, and philanthropists have donated $18,183,175 to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)’s ‘Together, We Are Stronger’ campaign, launched on March 20 to help contain the COVID-19 outbreak, according to a list seen by Rudaw.

The top donor was Baz Rauf Karim, CEO of the Kar Group. The company is responsible for the production of roughly half of the Kurdistan Region’s oil and most of its refining. Karim donated $4,750,000.

He is followed by the Magic Power Company, which donated $2 million, and Kawa Abdullah, owner of Newroz Telecom, who donated $1,951,220. 

Several top officials and lawmakers donated half their salaries to the effort, including Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and his deputy Qubad Talabani. 

 

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Iraq’s health ministry has been forced to “categorically” deny claims it is vastly underreporting the true scale of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Three doctors involved in the testing process, a health ministry official, and a senior political official told Reuters news agency on Thursday that Iraq has thousands of COVID-19 cases – many more than the 772 it has publicly acknowledged.  

The ministry responded to the reports in a Facebook statement on Thursday night, threatening legal action against news outlets spreading “deliberate misinformation”.

“Some news agencies and social media pages falsely claimed, quoting unnamed doctors and medical sources, that the number of new cases and fatalities in connection of COVID-19 announced by the health authorities in Iraq were inaccurate,” the statement read.

“Iraqi Health Ministry categorically denies such claims.”

The health ministry insisted it has been transparent in its daily reporting and that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed it adheres to international standards.

It warned the claims could undermine the government’s lockdown measures. 

“The publication of such inaccurate news at this critical time could lead to a weakening of the public commitment to observing the curfew in place in Iraq, increasing likelihood of more people contracting the virus and spreading the epidemic,” the ministry warned.  

“The Ministry of Health and Environment holds responsible the news agencies and newspapers responsible for the publication of false information which threaten the health security of Iraq. 

“The Ministry of Health will take the necessary legal action to protect Iraqi citizens from such deliberate misinformation,” it added.

Sources who spoke to Reuters suggested there could be between 3,000 and 9,000 cases of COVID-19 in Iraq.

 

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Coronavirus cases worldwide have surpassed one million, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.

At least 51,000 people have died and more than 208,000 have recovered from the virus.

Global cases doubled in the past week, with the biggest share in the United States and the highest death toll in Italy. 

 

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Ekrem Imamoglu, the opposition mayor of Istanbul, has called on the government to impose a lockdown on Turkey’s biggest city before it is too late. Istanbul has reported the highest proportion of COVID-19 cases in the whole country. 

“We are aware that Istanbul has become the epicenter. We have cases and a death toll almost 10 to 11 fold compared to Izmir or Ankara. This shows that if we can control the situation in Istanbul, we can relieve Turkey,” Imamoglu told AFP in an interview Thursday. 

“When we look at what’s being done elsewhere in the world, we believe a two or three-week lockdown in Istanbul will be a measure which will reduce the number of cases, and of deaths,” he added. 

Fahrettin Koca, Turkey’s health minister, offered a regional breakdown of the outbreak on Wednesday. The data showed that 60 percent of Turkey’s infections are recorded in Istanbul. The city has documented 117 deaths. 

The minister said Thursday that the total number of infections now stands at 18,135 and the death toll at 356. 

Imamoglu shared the data on Twitter, adding: “A lockdown must come as soon as possible.”  

Istanbul has a population of 15 million people and is Turkey’s cultural, political, and historical centre. It is visited by millions of tourists every year and its airports are a major international transit hub. 

 

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Fourteen new COVID-19 cases were confirmed by the Kurdistan Region’s health ministry late on Thursday. 

Seven cases were documented in Sulaimani province, five in Halabja province, and two in Erbil province. 

The total number of the infections now stands at 190. The death toll remains at two and recoveries at 61.

 

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Turkey’s health ministry said Thursday it has increasing daily testing for COVID-19, as health officials confirmed a further 2,456 new cases, bringing the national total to 18,135. 

In a tweet on Thursday afternoon, health minister Fahrettin Koca said officials performed 18,757 tests – up from 14,396 on Wednesday. 

Koca also recorded 79 new deaths, bringing the total to 356. So far, 415 people have recovered. 

 

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Schools could reopen across the Kurdistan Region on May 2 if the spread of COVID-19 is brought under control, the Kurdistan Regional Government minister of education said Thursday.

Online courses will be rolled out in mid-April to help students prepare for examinations, Alan Hama Sa’id, the minister of education, said in a statement seen by Rudaw. 

“We are doing our best to reopen education centers on May 2 if we are able to control [the further spread] of coronavirus,” Sa’id said. 

According to the plan laid out by the minister, most students will take exams on June 1, while final year high school students will take theirs on June 8.  

Schools were closed on February 26 under measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. 

As students are missing out on a significant chunk of the curriculum, examinations will only cover topics taught prior to the closures and after reopening, the minister said.

To help prepare students for their examinations, the education ministry will roll out a scheme of online courses from mid-April onward.

Several independent schools in the Kurdistan Region are providing their own tools to prevent students falling behind. 

 

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Iraqi authorities recorded 44 new COVID-19 cases and two deaths on Thursday, according to the health ministry. 

Twelve cases were documented in Sulaimani province, ten in Najaf, seven in Karbala, five in Basra, five in Kirkuk, two in Erbil, two in Baghdad, and one in Diwaniya. 

One death was recorded in Baghdad and another in Basra. Twenty people have recovered, including ten in Najaf, six in Karbala, three in Basra, and one in Baghdad. 

This brings the total number of the cases in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to 772. Of these, 54 have died and 202 have recovered.

 

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As of Wednesday midday, 3,160 people have died after contracting COVID-19, with 50,468 confirmed cases across Iran, according to Ministry of Health spokesperson Kianoush Jahanpour.

In total, 3956 patients are in critical condition.
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 A doctor in Turkey has died of COVID-19, said Fahrettin Koca, the health minister, adding that more than 600 healthworkers have been diagnosed with the virus.

"The number of our doctor friends, nurses or other healthcare personnel affected by the novel coronavirus is high. This figure, which I reluctantly announce, is 601," announced Minister Fahrettin Koca, according to AFP.  

This is the reportedly the first doctor to pass away after contracting the coronavirus in Turkey.

Istanbul recorded 8,852 infections and 117 deaths on Wednesday evening – a significant proportion of Turkey’s overall 15,679 cases and 277 deaths. 

Fahrettin Koca, Turkey’s health minister, told reporters that Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara, and Kocaeli combined have 11,411 cases. 

By Yasmine Mosimann Continue Reading

Iraq’s health ministry confirmed 34 new cases of COVID-19 and two deaths on Wednesday. 

Nine of the new cases are in Basra, six in Erbil, five in Sulaimani, four in Karbala, three in Duhok, two in Babel, two in Diwaniya, and one each for Najaf, Wasit, and Muthana. 

The two deaths occurred in Baghdad. 

Twelve people have recovered. 

There are now 728 infections, 52 deaths, and 182 recoveries in Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region. 

In a separate statement, published minutes later, the Kurdistan Region’s health ministry said 12 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Sulaimani province.

 

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Coronavirus has swept across Turkey in recent days, with a high concentration of cases in its commercial and aviation center of Istanbul. Now the virus is spreading to the more remote Kurdish towns of Turkey’s southeast.

A Kurdish citizen from the Kabala neighbourhood of Artikulu in Mardin province died on Tuesday after contracting the virus. Two men living in the same building also tested positive, and 14 residents have been quarantined.

Four deaths have been recorded in Mardin province and three villages placed under quarantine.

In Diyarbakir province, a 50-year-old woman died on Tuesday after contracting the virus. The province has recorded five deaths and more than 150 people have been quarantined.

In Van province, a 70-year-old man died after contracting the virus on Tuesday. He had recently visited Istanbul with his wife to attend a wedding. His wife has been placed in quarantine. 

Six doctors at Van’s university hospital have tested positive for the virus since last week and around 50 people have been quarantined there, according to Rudaw’s correspondent in the province. 

Istanbul, a province of 15 million people, has seen the lion’s share of confirmed COVID-19 infections and deaths, according to Turkey’s health minister.

Istanbul recorded 8,852 infections and 117 deaths on Wednesday evening – a significant proportion of Turkey’s overall 15,679 cases and 277 deaths. 

Fahrettin Koca, Turkey’s health minister, told reporters that Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara, and Kocaeli combined have 11,411 cases. 

Deaths have been recorded in 39 provinces, 80 percent of the victims over the age of 60, according to the minister. The death rate is 1.5 percent. 

Sixty-three people have died and 2,148 tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, Koca added.

 

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Businessmen in Erbil and Duhok have donated 18 hotels and motels to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to boost quarantine capacity for thousands of people thought to be infected with coronavirus. 

“Seven hotels in Erbil have been donated by their owners through the ministry of municipality and tourism,” Nadir Rostayi, head of the Kurdistan Region’s tourism board, told Rudaw on Wednesday.

“Among them, Mariana, My Flower, and Darin hotels are offering full service and use their own employees to serve the quarantined people,” he added. 

The KRG had already hired Darin Hotel to host quarantined people, but the hotel management “dissolved the contract” and decided to offer its services for free, according to Rostayi. 

Waysi Ibrahim, manager of Darin Hotel, told Rudaw English they scrapped the contact just a day after signing on March 25, insisting they would provide services free of charge. 

“This is a national cause and we want to ease the burden on the government,” Ibrahim said.

Eleven hotels and motels have been donated in Duhok province. 

There are currently around 625 hotels and 370 motels operating in the Kurdistan Region, most of them located in the capital Erbil, according to the General Tourism Board. 

Authorities have quarantined around 5,910 people across 36 areas since the outbreak began, according to government figures. Some 1,538 remain in quarantine. 

A total of 176 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Kurdistan Region, two have died, and 61 have recovered. 

By Karwan Faidhi Dri

 

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As of Wednesday midday, 3,036 people have died after contracting COVID-19, with 47,593 confirmed cases across Iran, according to Kianoush Jahanpour, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health.

There have been 138 deaths from the virus and 2987 new cases in the last 24 hours.

Almost 15,500 people have recovered from the virus, he added.
 
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Forty-six people have died from COVID-19 in Turkey in a 24-hour period, bringing the country's death toll to 214 as of Tuesday evening, according to data released by the Turkish Health Ministry on Wednesday.

The same period saw 2,704 individuals test positive for the virus, out of the 15,422 tests conducted.

In total, 92,403 tests have been carried out, out of which there are 13,531 confirmed cases.

There have been 243 recoveries in the country. 

The ministry also reports that 622 patients have been hooked up to ventilators, whereas 847 are in intensive care.

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Good morning from Erbil. It is Wednesday, April 1. Follow our live blog here for the latest updates from the Kurdistan Region and beyond.

As the world battles coronavirus, the latest tallies from the Kurdistan Region come to 170 cases, including two deaths and 61 recoveries.

There are 859,796 cases globally, including 42,341 deaths and 178,301 recoveries, according the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. The United States, Italy, and Spain have been the countries hardest hit by the virus according to official reports.

By Yasmine Mosimann

 

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Iraq has extended its lockdown until April 19 to contain the spread of COVID-19, health minister Jaafar Allawi said late Tuesday.

The current lockdown, announced in late March, was due to expire on April 11. 

In a televised interview with Iraqi Dijlah TV, Allawi said the situation is dangerous and requires the public’s cooperation.

“The ministry has issues finding places for quarantine as the number [of infected people] has increased. This has pushed us to use hotels and dormitories for this purpose,” he said. 

Iraq can “overcome the virus if the lockdown is adhered to properly,” he added, indicating restrictions could be lifted as early as June.

 

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Iraq has confirmed 65 new cases of COVID-19, four deaths, and 18 recoveries as of late Tuesday, according to a statement from the health ministry. 

Twenty-two new cases are in Najaf, 12 in Baghdad, 11 in Sulaimani, 11 in Karbala, four in Basra, two in Diyala, and one each in Erbil, Kirkuk, and Dhi Qar, the ministry said in a Facebook post. 

The four deaths are in Baghdad, Basra, Najaf, and Misan, and the recoveries are in Baghdad (three), Basra (four), Najaf (six) and Erbil (five). 

Tuesday’s data brings the total number of the infections in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to 694, deaths to 50, and the recoveries to 170. 

The Kurdistan Region alone has confirmed a total of 161 cases, two deaths, and 57 recoveries. 

 

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Turkey’s health minister Fahrettin Koca on Tuesday confirmed 2,704 new cases of COVID-19 and 46 deaths, bringing the national total to 13,531 infections and 214 fatalities.

In a tweet, Koca said 243 people have recovered. Health authorities conducted 15,422 tests on Tuesday – a 25 percent increase on previous days.

 

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Security forces arrested an armed man in the quarantined town of Sebiran, northwest of Erbil, on Tuesday after he attacked officers and tried to break through the police cordon. 

Officers guarding the gate to Sebiran, which has been on lockdown since March 22, told Rudaw the incident took place about 2pm local time. 

The man, who has not yet been identified, tried to leave the quarantined settlement on a motorcycle but was stopped by security forces who demanded to see his ID card.

He claimed he was a member of the security forces before attempting to flee the scene, hiding in some bushes, according to a number of security sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. 

The man then opened fire on security forces with an AK47 assault rifle and threw at least one grenade. One vehicle was damaged in the attack but none of the security forces were injured.

Only the assailant sustained injuries during the 30-minute clash. Security forces did not comment on the extent of his injuries. 

Police have launched an investigation to determine the man’s motive. Sebiran residents say they do not recognize him. 

Sebiran was placed under quarantine on March 22 after a case of COVID-19 was detected. So far 15 cases have been recorded in the settlement. 

All roads to Sebiran, located in Khabat subdistrict, just northwest of Erbil, are currently closed. The neighbourhood has around 1,200 houses and a population of about 5,300.

Hersh Saeed, head of Khabat health office, told Rudaw “the health condition [of Sebiran] is very good.”

Authorities have conducted 300 regular and random tests in the community, but only 15 have tested positive so far, Saeed said. One of those infected was a child who has since recovered. 

No new cases have been detected in Sebiran in the last six days. 

By Karwan Faidhi Dri

 

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Lockdown measures to contain the spread of coronavirus in the Kurdistan Region are to be extended until April 10, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) interior minister Reber Ahmed told a press conference in Erbil on Tuesday. 

Kurdish health authorities earlier confirmed 12 new COVID-19 cases, including six in Halabja, five in Sulaimani, and one in Erbil.

This brings the total number of the cases across the Kurdistan Region to 162. Two people have died and 57 have recovered.

 

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The Iraqi Higher Education and Scientific Research declared the adoption of an e-learning system on Tuesday, a month following the government shutdown of schools across the country.

The e-learning system has been adopted in an effort for students not to miss out on their academic studies amid the global outbreak of the coronavirus which has brought public life to a halt.

"The goal of adopting e-learning... is to link students and professors with the educational process. This is in line with what has been done by all international academic institutions," reads a statement by the Iraqi higher education ministry.  

According to the ministry, international organizations such as UNESCO and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) have considered this option "successful".

"The Ministry is calling on faculty members to make the necessary efforts according to their available capabilities to serve students," the statement read.

The Kurdistan Region has not yet decided to follow suit.
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As of Tuesday midday, 2,898 people have died after contracting COVID-19, with 44,606 confirmed cases across Iran, according to Kianoush Jahanpour, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health.

There have been 141 deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours.

Almost 15,000 people have recovered from the virus, he added.
 
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Monday that his country has prepared to dispatch coronavirus medical aid to Spain, the second-hardest virus hit country in Europe.

Speaking at his government cabinet meeting, Erdogan said the much-needed medical supplies would be delivered to Spain by Wednesday, according to pro-government outlet Daily Sabah. 

The Turkish president added that Ankara has already sent medical supplies to Italy, where 11,591 have died - the highest death toll of any country.  

"We have also sent a ship-load of medical supplies via Turkish Red Crescent to Italy, who is going through difficult times," Erdogan said.

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Turkey and Iraq's foreign ministers spoke late Monday via phone on coordination between the two neighboring countries in the face of the global coronavirus pandemic.

"The two sides discussed ways to raise the prospects of bilateral cooperation and strategic coordination between the two countries towards regional and international issues," read a statement from the Iraqi Foreign Ministry. 

The two counterparts also discussed "measures taken by both countries to confront the coronavirus."

"Minister Alhakim reaffirmed the consultation and coordination of positions between Baghdad and Ankara on issues of common concern," according to the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.

The coronavirus death toll in Turkey reached 168 on Monday, with 10,827 positive cases, according to the country's health ministry. 

As of Monday evening, Iraq has confirmed 630 infections, 46 deaths, and 152 recoveries.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Iraq now has the second highest number of COVID-19 related deaths across the Eastern Mediterranean region after Iran. 

Iraq will likely see a "spike" in the number of COVID-19 infections within the coming 10 days due to the increase in lab testing capacity, WHO said on Monday.

A total of 787, 361 coronavirus cases have been confirmed since the outbreak began late last year, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center at John Hopkins University in the US.

By Zhelwan Z. Wali 

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786, 228 coronavirus cases have been confirmed since the outbreak began late last year, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center at John Hopkins University in the US. 

The US has the highest number of cases, standing at 164,603 as of Monday morning, followed by Italy, Spain, China and Germany. 

A total of 37,820 have died from the virus, with over 11,000 fatalities in Italy. However, these figures tend to exclude those who die in assisted living and care home facilities. 

The rapid spread of COVID-19 has seen more than a third of the world's population placed under lockdown in an attempt to contain the illness. 

The Kurdistan Region has so far managed to avoid a wide outbreak of the virus, which emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December.

162 people have been confirmed as infected with COVID-19 in the Kurdistan Region. Two people have died, and 56 have recovered from the virus. 

88 cases have been recorded in Sulaimani province, with 57 in Erbil, 9 in Duhok and 8 in Halabja province. 

1226 people are still in quarantine, according to KRG figures. 

By Holly Johnston

 

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Following several anxious weeks of waiting, 325 students who had been left stranded in Northern Cyprus due to measures taken to curb the spread of COVID-19 were returned to the Kurdistan Region on Monday.

The students were flown in to Erbil International Airport and have been placed into quarantine for a period of two weeks. 

“We flew home 325 students from Cyprus today. They’ll undergo proper tests, quarantine, other health measures to keep everyone safe from #Covid_19,” Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) spokesman Jotiar Adil tweeted Monday evening.  

He had previously told reporters the flight was sponsored by the KRG, but thanked the Iraqi government for making it possible.  

A group of 176 students studying at institutions in Turkey and Northern Cyprus had signed a petition, seen by Rudaw on March 21, calling on the KRG to open the Turkish border for a single day to allow them to return.   

Some of these students returned to the Kurdistan Region via the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing last week. 

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.

By Karwan Faidhi Dri

 

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Iraq will likely see a “spike” in the number of COVID-19 infections within the coming 10 days due to the increase in lab testing capacity, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Monday. 

Three new testing laboratories have opened in Najaf, Basra, and Baghdad in recent days, raising testing capacity in Iraq from 100 tests per day a few weeks ago to 4,500, it said.

“WHO is in constant communication with the FMoH (federal ministry of health) and regularly shares all information, guidelines, recommendations, protocols and risk communication materials as provided by WHO Regional and HQ offices,” said Dr. Adham Ismail, WHO Representative in Iraq, in a statement. 

“WHO technical teams are putting every effort to support health authorities in their respective efforts,” he added.

As of Monday evening, Iraq has confirmed 630 infections, 46 deaths, and 152 recoveries. 

According to the WHO, Iraq now has the second highest number of COVID-19 related deaths across the Eastern Mediterranean region after Iran. 

By Robert Edwards 

 

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Eighty-three new cases of COVID-19 and four deaths were confirmed by Iraq’s health ministry on Monday. 

Eighteen cases were recorded in Najaf, 14 in Baghdad, 14 in Sulaimani, 12 in Muthana, ten in Basra, ten in Erbil, three in Karbala, and two in Duhok.   

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) health ministry had earlier confirmed 14 new cases in Sulaimani and eight in Erbil. 

Iraqi authorities recorded four deaths – two in Najaf, one in Wasit, and one in Diyala. 

Nine people have recovered, including six in Najaf and three in Erbil, the Iraqi health ministry added.

The KRG health ministry confirmed three recoveries on Sunday. 

This brings the total number of infections in Iraq to 630, deaths to 46, and recoveries to 152. 

The Kurdistan Region alone has 150 confirmed cases, two deaths, and 57 recoveries. 

By Karwan Faidhi Dri

 

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Syria needs a “complete and immediate nationwide ceasefire” to enable an all-out effort to suppress COVID-19, the United Nations humanitarian affairs chief Mark Lowcock told a briefing Monday. 

The Syrian civil war entered its tenth year in March. 

The conflict has displaced millions of Syrians and devastated civilian infrastructure, including the health system. As a result, Syrians are especially vulnerable to the outbreak of COVID-19. 

“The pandemic is already further restricting our ability to access affected communities,” Lowcock told a UN briefing on Monday.  

“Airport and border closures – including in the northeast – along with other movement restrictions add to the long-standing difficulties humanitarian staff face in travelling to where they are needed,” he said.

The Syrian government reported the first case of COVID-19 in Syria on March 23. Since then, the regime has acknowledged ten cases. There are currently no confirmed cases in Idlib.  

In order to respond effectively to contain the outbreak, all warring sides must agree to a ceasefire, the humanitarian affairs chief said.  

“I reiterate the Secretary-General’s call … for a complete and immediate nationwide ceasefire throughout Syria to enable an all-out effort to suppress COVID-19,” Lowcock said.

Up to a million people have fled their homes in the opposition hold-out of Idlib since December, when the Russian-backed regime of Bashar al-Assad launched a fresh assault to retake the province. 

Civilians have flooded to the Turkish border, where they have established overcrowded and poorly resources camps. 

Humanitarian aid chiefs fear an outbreak of coronavirus among camp residents would be catastrophic. 

“In the north of the country, where MSF is working, there is a limited number of functioning hospitals and health centers, and these facilities are already struggling to respond to all medical needs,” medical NGO Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said in a statement Monday. 

“Moreover, more than a million internally displaced people and refugees live in camps and in unofficial settlements and are exposed to extremely hard conditions that are prone to affect their health and even threatens their lives.”

Last week, 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.

A shaky ceasefire arrangement in Idlib was agreed by Russia and rebel-backer Turkey in recent weeks. Sporadic clashes have nevertheless continued.

By Robert Edwards 

 

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Thirty-nine locations in Turkey have been placed under quarantine as of Monday afternoon, the Turkish interior ministry said. 

One district, six neighborhoods, 28 villages, and four hamlets across 18 provinces have been quarantined as of 3.15pm on Monday to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the ministry announced in a tweet. 

Seven of these settlements are Kurdish-majority areas in Van and Dersim (Tunceli) provinces, according to Rudaw reporter Mashallah Dakkak in Diyarbakir.

Turkey confirmed a further 1,610 new cases of COVID-19 and 37 more deaths on Monday, bringing the total number of cases to 10,827 and the death toll to 168, according to a tweet by health minister Fahrettin Koca. He said 162 people have recovered while 725 remain in intense care.

By Karwan Faidhi Dri

 

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Travelers who have arrived in the Kurdistan Region since February 15 are urged to call the government’s special 122 coronavirus hotline and present themselves for testing.

“We assure you that this is only for testing, which is in the interest of yourself and your family,” the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) health ministry said in an “urgent call” on Facebook. 

The measure does not apply to those who have already been quarantined or tested. 

Those who fail to present themselves for testing will face “legal procedures”, the ministry warned.   

The ministry issued a similar order on March 27 for all travelers who had arrived from Europe between March 1 and March 14.

By Karwan Faidhi Dri

 

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Three other Iraqis have tested positive for COVID-19 while overseas, including two in Canada and one in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). An Iraqi with the virus in Iran has recovered on Monday and left the hospital.

Iraq’s Foreign ministry released a tweet thread on Monday confirming three more Iraqis infection with coronavirus, two Iraqis in Canada and another in UAE.

This raises the total number of Iraqis with coronavirus in Canada to eight cases. 

A further 11 cases have been confirmed among Iraqis living in Belgium, twelve in Jordan, six in Italy, five in UK, two in Lebanon, five in US, five in Austria, and two in Netherlands. 

In another tweet the foreign ministry confirmed that the single infected Iraqi in Iran has been recovered from the virus on Monday and left the hospital.

So far three Iraqis died after contracting coronavirus overseas, including two in UK, and one in Norway. 

So far, 57 Iraqis living abroad have tested positive for COVID-19.

By Lawk Ghafuri

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The town of Qadesh in Duhok province has been placed under quarantine after a resident tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday. 

Home to approximately 8,000 people, the streets of Qadesh - 15km west of the popular resort town of Amedi- lie deserted as peshmerga forces patrol checkpoints, forbidding residents from leaving their homes unless in case of an emergency. 

26 people have been sent to quarantine in a Dohuk hospital after coming into contact with the COVID-19 patient, health officials have confirmed. 

"It is difficult to get out of the house unless it is for a visit to a doctor or to the market...the security forces are harsh. You can’t come and go as you please. I am actually grateful because it is in our own interest," local resident Ahmad Abdulsalam told Rudaw's Ayub Nasri on Monday morning.

Duhok province has reported relatively few cases of coronavirus cases compared to Sulaimani, which lies on the border with Iran - the regional epicenter of the virus.

9 people in the Duhok area are so far confirmed to have the virus and around 700 are in quarantine.

By Holly Johnston

 

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As of Monday midday, 2,757 people have died after contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus, with 41,495 confirmed cases across Iran, according to Kianoush Jahanpour, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health.

Almost 14,000 people have recovered from the virus, he added.

Jahanpour said that 3,511 patients are in facing serious health conditions. He added that 63 million people have been screened for symptoms of the virus.

 

By Yasmine Mosimann

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Good morning from Erbil. Here you can find the latest on the coronavirus pandemic. We focus primarily on Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region, Syria, Iran, and Turkey.

As of this morning, a total of 150 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Kurdistan Region.

Eight new coronavirus cases have been reported  in the city of Erbil by the Kurdistan Regional Government. 

Five of the victims, a man, a woman and three children, were in contact with people diagnosed with coronavirus yesterday in the Khalifan, a sub-district roughly 90 kilometers north-east of Erbil. 

Three of the cases are men who live in the city of Dohuk, but have been quarantined in Erbil after returned from France.

By Yasmine Mosimann

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How are you coping under the lockdown? Send your comments and photos to our Facebook and Twitter pages.

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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