BAGHDAD, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry reported on Thursday 3,522 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the nationwide infections to 394,566.
The new cases included 1,479 in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, 281 in Erbil, 265 in Duhok, 247 in Sulaimaniyah, and 234 in Wasit, while the other cases were detected in the other provinces, the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry also reported 79 more deaths, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 9,683 in the country.
It also said that 4,031 more patients recovered in the day, bringing the total number of recoveries to 323,815.
A total of 2,439,828 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February, with 20,576 done on during the day, according to the statement.
Meanwhile, a member of the parliamentary health committee Jawad al-Musawi said in a press release that Iraq is registering between 4,000 to 5,000 daily infections with COVID-19 and sometimes more.
"We are wary of a new wave of increase in infections that may happen in Iraq in the coming month," al-Musawi said.
"Our greatest fear is that there will be a large increase in the number of infections that could be beyond the capability of our health system, like if the numbers increase to more than 20,000 infections then certainly this increase cannot be controlled," al-Musawi added.
In such an increase of infections the Iraqi authorities may have to return to a partial or full curfew, which we do not want considering these difficult economic conditions, al-Musawi indicated.
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
