BAGHDAD, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry reported on Saturday 778 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total nationwide number to 612,870.
The new cases included 299 in the capital Baghdad, 113 in Kirkuk, 96 in Karbala, and 44 in Diyala, the Ministry said in a statement.
The Ministry also reported four new deaths, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 12,988, and 1,546 more recovered cases, bringing the total recoveries to 579,838.
A total of 5,342,787 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February 2020, with 37,785 done during the day, according to the statement.
On Jan. 19, the Ministry said in a statement that the Iraqi National Board for Selection of Drugs (NBSD) had approved the emergency use of China's Sinopharm and Britain's AstraZeneca vaccines to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Iraq has taken a series of measures to contain the pandemic since the first coronavirus case appeared in the country.
China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
From March 7 to April 26 in 2020, 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.
China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq. Enditem
