Iraq reports 3,920 new COVID-19 cases, 434,598 in total

Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-20 23:03:18|Editor: huaxia

BAGHDAD, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry reported on Tuesday 3,920 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the nationwide infections to 434,598.

The new cases included 1,303 in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, 445 in Duhok, 305 in Erbil, 260 in Sulaimaniyah, and 241 in Wasit, while the other cases were detected in the other provinces, the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also reported 49 more deaths, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 10,366 in the country.

It also said that 2,602 more patients recovered in the day, bringing the total number of recoveries to 366,134.

Iraqi Health Minister Hassan al-Tamimi said in a press release that there is coordination with the Ministries of Education and Higher Education regarding the start of the school year.

"There is a specialized committee from the two ministries tasked with considering possible mechanisms in order to take the appropriate decision for the start of the new school year," al-Tamimi said.

The Health Ministry had provided the committee with mechanisms and instructions adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO), he added.

According to al-Tamimi, the recovery rate has increased in Iraq.

He also said that Iraq would be one of the countries that will receive quantities of the vaccine for 20 percent of its population, if approved by international organizations.

Iraq is preparing to build 20 factories for oxygen and four others for liquid oxygen in the coming period, al-Tamimi added.

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

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