Iraq reports rise in coronavirus cases

TEHRAN, Feb. 24, 2020 (Xinhua) -- An Iranian soldier wearing a mask stands guard in downtown Tehran, Iran, Feb. 23, 2020. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday issued an order to form a national headquarters to cope with the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the country, state TV reported. Since Iran announced the first batch cases of the coronavirus in the country on Wednesday, 43 Iranians have been confirmed infected by the virus, eight of whom have died.

Baghdad,  Iraq has announced a new case of novel coronavirus disease in the country’s northern province of Kirkuk, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Middle Eastern country to seven.

A statement by the Iraqi Health Ministry on Thursday said that it has detected a new case of coronavirus for an Iraqi man, 51, who returned earlier to Iraq from neighboring Iran. After being transferred to a hospital, he was tested positive and was kept in quarantine in accordance with the international procedures, Xinhua reported.

Earlier in the day, a ministry statement announced a case of novel coronavirus for an Iraqi young man in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, who was also returned here from neighbouring Iran.

Recently, the Iraqi authorities have been taking a series of precautionary measures to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus after cases of the disease were confirmed earlier in the provinces of Najaf and Kirkuk.

Previous articleCOVID-19 cases in S.Korea reach 2,022, 13 deaths
Next articleUK may plan for ‘orderly exit’ from EU in June