Members of staff prepare food for customers at a restaurant in Baghdad, Iraq, Sept. 12, 2020. During the past few days, the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety, headed by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, took several decisions to ease health restrictions, including permitting movement among the country's provinces, reopening the border crossings for commercial movement, restaurants, tourist facilities of the five-star hotels, and lifting the ban on sporting events. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)
BAGHDAD, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry reported on Saturday 4,106 COVID-19 new cases, raising the total nationwide infections to 286,778.
It also reported 60 more deaths, the lowest in recent weeks, bringing the death toll from the infectious virus to 7,941 in the country.
A total of 1,883,048 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease, with 18,949 done during the day, according to the statement.
Meanwhile, Ryadh Abdul-Amir, head of the Public Health Department in the Health Ministry, told the official Iraqi News Agency that the ministry will not sign a contract about the COVID-19 vaccine with any company without the approval of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
During the past few days, the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety, headed by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, took several decisions to ease health restrictions, including permitting movement among the country's provinces, reopening the border crossings for commercial movement, restaurants, tourist facilities of the five-star hotels, and lifting the ban on sporting events.
Iraq has taken a series of measures to contain the pandemic since February when the first coronavirus case appeared in the country.
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
