BAGHDAD, Jun 9 (NNN-NINA) – The Iraqi government decided yesterday, to take a series of measures to accelerate the vaccination campaign, to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The decision was made at a cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, which discussed the recommendations of the Iraqi Health Ministry on containing the pandemic in Iraq, al-Kadhimi’s media office said in a statement.
The vaccination, which is expected to cover all workers of shops, restaurants, malls, laboratories and other public facilities, is a prerequisite for renewing or granting health licenses, the statement said, adding that, violators will be fined and required to close those facilities after Sept 1.
It also decided to ban government employees, students and teachers from working, unless they bring a vaccination document or a negative PCR test report on a weekly basis.
Starting from Oct 1, all Iraqis attempting to travel abroad are required to present the international certificate of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative PCR test report, it added.
The Iraqi Health Ministry reported 4,119 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, raising the nationwide caseload to 1,233,240.
The ministry also confirmed 23 new deaths, bringing the death toll to 16,589, while recoveries in Iraq climbed by 4,770 to 1,151,515.
A total of 10,762,364 tests have been carried out, since the outbreak in Feb, 2020, with 42,624 done during the day, the ministry said.
The statement also said, 18,353 people were vaccinated during the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of doses to 658,510.
Iraq has been pushing forward its vaccination drive since the drug authority approved in Jan, the emergency use of China’s Sinopharm vaccine and other COVID-19 vaccines.– NNN-NINA
