BAGHDAD, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry on Friday reported 4,013 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily increase since the outbreak of the disease, bringing the total nationwide infections to 168,290.
The ministry's health teams and institutions have used 20,446 testing kits across the country during the day, raising the total testing kits used to 1,245,355, said in the ministry's statement.
It also reported 68 fatalities during the day, raising the death toll from the virus to 5,709, while 2,921 more patients recovered in the day, bringing the total number of recoveries to 120,129.
Earlier, the Health Ministry frequently said the increase of COVID-19 infections was caused by a lack of public compliance to the health instructions and stronger testing capacity with the increase of labs in Baghdad and other provinces.
Meanwhile, Baghdad Mayoralty said in a statement that its teams have conducted a campaign to sterilize different neighborhoods and main streets across the capital to support the efforts of the health ministry to curb the outbreak of the pandemic.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, Iraq has been taking measures to contain the pandemic.
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 Iraq's capital Baghdad.
Since March 7, China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq. Enditem
