Parts of Iraqi capital go under full lockdown after jump in virus cases
Iraq's health minister announced the new restrictions for some areas of Baghdad today.
Parts of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, will go under a full lockdown after a jump in coronavirus cases, Iraqi Health Minister Hassan al-Tamimi announced in a statement posted on social media today.
The order said there will be a full lockdown starting Wednesday for two weeks in several Baghdad neighborhoods. The areas covered include several populous areas outside downtown Baghdad, including Ameria and Sadr City.
The decision follows 150 new coronavirus cases recorded in Iraq today, with 120 in Baghdad, including 48 in the Rusafa area, the ministry said. Other places where cases were registered included Najaf, Karbala and Sulaimaniyah.
The decision’s text did not specify what the exact restrictions would be. Past lockdowns in Iraq only allowed local travel to supermarkets and pharmacies. Businesses, restaurants and schools were closed, among other measures.
