UPDATE - Iraq reports second death from coronavirus

UPDATES WITH SECOND DEATH; REVISES HEADLINE, LEDE

By Zehra Nur Duz

ANKARA (AA) - Iraq confirmed two deaths Wednesday from the coronavirus, according to health authorities.

The Health Ministry of Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq said a 63-year-old male who tested positive for the virus in Suleymaniyeh province died Wednesday.

Later in the day, the country’s Health Ministry spokesman Saif Al-Badr said a female died of the virus in Baghdad, marking a second death.

Iraqi authorities confirmed 32 cases of the virus, officially known as COVID-19.

Last week, Baghdad shut schools and universities for 10 days and banned travel to virus-hit states as part of its fight against the disease.

The global death toll from coronavirus surpassed 3,000, with more than 89,000 infected.

The World Health Organization, which already declared the outbreak an international health emergency, updated the global risk level to “very high.”