BAGHDAD, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry recorded on Sunday 2,447 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total nationwide infections to 129,151.
The new cases included 489 in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, 472 in Basra, 294 in Karbala, 211 in Babil, 202 in Erbil, and 175 in Nineveh, the ministry said in a statement.
It also reported 63 new fatalities during the day, a figure that has been gradually decreasing over the past days, raising the death toll to 4,868.
The ministry said 2,611 more patients recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 91,886.
The new cases were recorded after 14,399 testing kits were used across the country during the day, and a total of 1,029,159 tests have been carried out since the outbreak of the disease, according to the statement.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement that Turkey has suspended the flights between the two countries until Sept. 1 following recommendations by the Turkish Health Ministry.
The return of the Iraqi citizens in Turkey will be "through diplomatic channels between the two countries," it noted.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, Iraq has been taking measures to contain the pandemic.
On July 26, Iraq's Higher Committee for Health and National Safety, headed by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, decided to extend the weekly full curfew from July 30 to Aug. 9, including the Eid al-Adha holiday.
China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad.
Since March 7, China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq. Enditem
