New death raises Iraq's COVID-19 fatalities to 12

By Ibrahim Saleh

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AA) - One new death from coronavirus was reported in Iraq’s southern Basra province, bringing the total fatalities in the country to 12, the Iraqi Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the ministry said that 10 new cases were registered, raising the total number of the coronavirus cases to 164.

Over the past 24 hours, the ministry noted, it conducted tests for 105 suspected cases, among them 10 were tested positive -- including five in the capital Baghdad.

As precautionary measures due to the coronavirus, most of Iraq's governorates decided to close their borders, including Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, while some governorates also decided to impose a lockdown.

Last week, Baghdad shut down schools and universities for 10 days and banned travel to virus-hit provinces.

Worldwide, out of over 204,700 confirmed cases, the death toll now exceeds 8,200, while more than 82,800 patients have recovered, according to Worldometer, a statistics website that compiles new case numbers.

The number of active cases is more than 113,500 -- 94% mild and 6% in critical condition, according to the website.

The World Health Organization has declared Europe the new epicenter of the virus, which first emerged in Wuhan, China last December.

* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara