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HEALTH-VIRUS-IRAQ
Iraq closes public spaces as first coronavirus case hits capital
BAGHDAD, Feb 27, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Iraq announced the first confirmed case
of coronavirus in the capital Baghdad on Thursday, taking nationwide
infections to six and raising concerns about the capacity of the dilapidated
health system to respond.
The government announced sweeping measures late Wednesday to try to contain
the spread of the virus, ordering the closure of schools and universities,
cafes, cinemas and other public spaces until March 7.
It also banned travel to or from some of the worst affected countries,
including China, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Italy, Kuwait
and Bahrain.
Iraq had already blocked entry for foreigners travelling from neighbouring
Iran, the main source of coronavirus infections in the Middle East, or China,
where COVID-19 originated.
The health ministry said the first case in Baghdad was in a young man who
had recently returned from Iran.
Iran has reported 19 fatalities from 139 infections — the highest death
toll outside China.
The patient was placed under quarantine in a Baghdad hospital and is
currently “in good health,” it said in a statement.
Iraq’s six confirmed cases have all been traced to neighbouring Iran, a
popular tourism destination for Iraqis, who also visit the country to receive
medical treatment.
Many hospitals in Iraq are poorly equipped or in disrepair and there are
fewer than 10 doctors for every 10,000 people, the World Health Organization
says.
Baghdad is the Arab world’s second most populous city after the Egyptian
capital Cairo.
The health ministry advised against large gatherings, urging officials to
take steps to “restrict intermixing,” a move that may deal a blow to anti-
government protests that have gripped Baghdad and southern Iraq since
October.
BSS/AFP/SSS/1645 hrs