MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th March, 2021) The number of cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in Iraq has exceeded 800,000, according to the country's Health Ministry.
The ministry said the case tally increased by 4,494 in the past day to 803,041. More than 723,000 people have recovered since the pandemic start.
The death toll has risen over the past 24 hours by 30 to 14,066.
The vaccination campaign began in Iraq on March 2, with the vaccine from Chinese company Sinopharm. Iraqi Health Minister Hassan al-Tamimi said Monday that the first shipment of 136,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine was expected this week; overall, Baghdad expects about 20 million doses of the vaccine. The first shipment of Pfizer vaccines is expected in early April.
The Iraqi Health Ministry in February announced an increase in the rates of COVID-19 spread, including due to the UK strain. The authorities imposed a 24-hour curfew on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from February 18, and a partial curfew on other days (from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. local time). Parks, cinemas and other entertainment venues, gyms and swimming pools are completely closed.
Restaurants work in delivery mode, cafes, shopping centers and mosques have closed. Schools and state universities have switched to distance learning. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi ordered to stop transport links between the provinces.
