BAGHDAD, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Ministry of Health reported on Wednesday 746 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total nationwide infections to 610,598.
The ministry reported six new deaths, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 12,968, and 1,909 more recovered cases, bringing the total recoveries to 574,920.
A total of 5,228,784 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February, with 37,341 done during the day, according to the statement.
Ministry of Health spokesman Sayf al-Badr said in a press release that the ministry is continuing contacts with all companies producing coronavirus vaccines and many countries.
"Pursuing such policy aims to get more than one vaccine, in case we fail to agree with one company producing the vaccine, so we can always have alternatives," al-Badr said.
On Tuesday, the ministry said in a brief statement that the Iraqi National Board for Selection of Drugs (NBSD) had approved the emergency use of China's Sinopharm and British AstraZeneca vaccines to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Previously, the NBSD already approved the emergency use of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to combat the pandemic. Enditem
