Iraq vaccinates all prisoners against COVID-19

By Ali Jawad

BAGHDAD (AA) - Iraqi health authorities have vaccinated prisoners against the coronavirus in all detention facilities across the country, according to the Justice Ministry on Wednesday.

“Visits were resumed after inoculating all prisoners and prison personnel across Iraq,” ministry spokesman Ahmed Luaibi told the state news agency.

He said authorities did not record any new COVID-19 infection inside prisons “due to the application of health protocol and the prevention of visits.”

Iraqi authorities have suspended visits to prisoners in March due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

On Wednesday, Iraq registered 30 virus deaths and 7,300 infections, pushing the country’s nationwide tally to 1,345,904 cases, including 17,186 fatalities.

A total of 896,063 people have so far been vaccinated against the virus in Iraq.

Iraq started its vaccination campaign in March after authorizing the usage of the British AstraZeneca, the American-German Pfizer-BioNTech, and the Chinese Sinopharm.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara