BAGHDAD, Apr 18 (NNN-NINA) – The Iraqi Ministry of Health reported yesterday, 6,552 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total nationwide infections to 970,987.
It also reported 33 new deaths, raising the death toll to 14,948, while the total recoveries in Iraq climbed by 5,867 to 849,718.
A total of 8,767,925 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in Feb, 2020, with 35,287 done during the day.
Spokesman of the ministry, Sayf al-Badr, said, taking the vaccines is not compulsory, but the ministry suggested compulsory vaccinations for private hospitals and laboratories, travellers, and government bodies.
“The Ministry is working with all concerned parties, to control the pandemic, and new restrictive instructions will be issued shortly,” he said.
Iraq took a series of measures to curb the recent rise in infections, after the health ministry announced, on Feb 15, the detection of a new strain, characterised by faster transmission and a higher level of severity.
The Iraqi National Board for Selection of Drugs, approved the emergency use of the Sinopharm vaccines, in addition to AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Sputnik V vaccines.– NNN-NINA
