BAGHDAD, Jul 27 (NNN-NINA) – Iraq reported yesterday 12,180 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily count since the outbreak of the pandemic, raising the nationwide caseload to 1,564,828.
A statement by the health ministry also confirmed 60 more deaths, bringing the death toll from the virus to 18,347, while the total recoveries climbed by 9,966 to 1,420,995.
A total of 12,804,155 tests have been carried out in Iraq since the outbreak of the disease last year, with 50,880 done during the day, the statement said.
A total of 86,531 people were vaccinated in the past 24 hours across the country, bringing the total number of doses administered to 1,391,523, it said.
Ruba Falah, a member of the ministry’s media office, said that, the recent increase in infections “is clear evidence of the ferocity of this wave of coronavirus.”
“Today we face a great challenge. We face the battle of our enemy, the virus, and our only weapon is to adhere to protective measures and take the vaccine,” Falah said.
For his part, spokesman of the ministry, Sayf al-Badr, said in a statement that, the recent increase in infections can be attributed to the failure to adhere to health-protective measures, during the Eid al-Adha celebrations.
“This increase may also be due to the unprecedented crowdedness in public places, celebrations, tourist groups, and parties,” al-Badr said.
However, despite rising pressure on the health institutions, al-Badr said, the pandemic can still be contained by adhering to health-protective measures and taking vaccines.
On Jun 26, al-Badr said, Iraq entered the “third wave” of the coronavirus pandemic, warning that the new wave is more severe and dangerous than the previous waves.
Iraq has been pushing forward its vaccination drive since the drug authority approved in Jan, the emergency use of the Sinopharm vaccine and other COVID-19 vaccines.– NNN-NINA
