Baghdad | More than 10,000 people have died from the new coronavirus in Iraq where the health system is struggling to cope with the influx of patients, the Iraqi Minister of Health announced on Wednesday.
• Read also: All developments in the COVID-19 pandemic
Iraq has recorded more than 413,000 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, including 10,021 deaths, according to the minister. About 85% of the sick are cured.
Baghdad recently lifted some restrictions and mosques, shops and cafes have reopened, but the government has kept the country’s borders closed to non-residents.
Neighboring Iran is the country in the region hardest hit by the pandemic, with nearly 30,000 dead on its soil, according to local authorities.
The Iraqi government has also urged the population to avoid large gatherings.
More than 14.5 million pilgrims, however, participated in Arbain, a major Shiite commemoration that ended last week, many not wearing masks or following distancing rules, according to religious officials. physical.
Worn out by years of war and lack of investment, the Iraqi health system has collapsed under pressure from the many patients with the new coronavirus, and medical staff are complaining about the lack of protective equipment.