COVID-19: Rojava announces new lockdown

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Authorities in northeast Syria (Rojava) announced new lockdown measures in a bid to limit the spread of the coronavirus as numbers of new cases continue to rise. 

The cities of Raqqa, Qamishli, and Hasaka will be under a full lockdown for one week, beginning Tuesday. Outside of the cities, curfews will be imposed nightly from 4pm to 6am.  

The Rojava health authority reported 73 new cases and four deaths on Saturday, bringing the total number of cases up to 10,404 and deaths to 389.

Rojava is expected to receive its first doses of vaccines later this month or in May, distributed through the COVAX scheme, designed to provide equitable access to vaccines worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, 136,000 doses will be sent to Rojava.