Iraq says health situation ‘grave’ over COVID-19

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Saturday warned of the gravity of the health situation in the country due to the coronavirus outbreak.

“The health situation is dangerous,” al-Kadhimi said as he visited a number of schools at the start of final-year exams in the capital Baghdad, according to a statement issued by his office.

The Iraqi premier called for abiding by health protocols to help stem the spread of COVID-19.

In the past few weeks, Iraq has registered an unprecedented rise in the number of virus infections, with 6,000-12,000 cases reported daily.

Iraq’s nationwide tally reached 1,809,376 cases, including 19,958 fatalities, according to Iraqi health authorities.

So far, 2.8 million Iraqis have received the coronavirus vaccine out of the country’s 40 million population.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara