BAGHDAD, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry recorded on Monday 2,735 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total nationwide infections to 131,886.
It also reported 66 fatalities during the day, a figure that has been gradually decreasing over the past days, raising the death toll from the virus to 4,934.
The ministry said that 2,225 more patients recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 94,111.
The new cases were recorded after 13,647 testing kits were used across the country during the day, and a total of 1,042,806 tests have been carried out since the outbreak of the disease, according to the statement.
Meanwhile, Salaman al-Ghreibawi, a member of the parliamentary health committee, said in a press release that logistic problems were found during the committee's visits to monitor the performance of hospitals in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
"We have noticed in some of the hospitals a clear shortage of oxygen and respirators, due to the inadequate allocations by the Ministry of Finance," al-Ghreibawi said.
There is also a shortage in blood bags in some hospitals, al-Ghreibawi added.
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
