Iraq reports 48 new COVID-19 cases, 1,482 in total

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) The Iraqi health ministry on Friday confirmed 48 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number in the country to 1,482, Trend reports citing Xinhua .

The 48 new cases during the past 24 hours were 14 in the capital Baghdad, 17 in Basra, 14 in Najaf, two in Sulaimaniyah and one in Karbala, the ministry said in a statement.

So far, 81 have died from the disease while 906 recovered, according to the statement.

The ministry's figures showed a noticeable increase in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 during the day, Ehsan Hameed, a physician from al-Karkh health department in Baghdad, told Xinhua.

The latest increase means that the citizens must continue following the precautionary health measures to prevent infection with coronavirus, including abiding by the curfew imposed earlier by the health authority, Hameed said.

"The infection rate in Iraq is within acceptable limits compared to other countries, but efforts must be made to continue preventive measures to contain the further spread of the virus," he concluded.

The Iraqi authorities have taken several measures to contain the outbreak of COVID-19, including imposing a nationwide curfew until the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to start on April 24 or 25 according to the Islamic lunar calendar.

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