Iraq Fears Disastrous Consequences of Gatherings During Eid al-Adha

A man cools off from the summer heat under an open air shower in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, July 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
A man cools off from the summer heat under an open air shower in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, July 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
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Iraq Fears Disastrous Consequences of Gatherings During Eid al-Adha

A man cools off from the summer heat under an open air shower in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, July 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
A man cools off from the summer heat under an open air shower in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, July 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

Coronavirus cases have recently spiked in Iraq, sparking concerns of a growing outbreak amid a lack commitment by many citizens to health-related guidelines.

The concerns have grown bigger as the Iraqi authorities intend to lift the partial curfew during Eid al-Adha, end of July.

Last week, Baghdad declared its intention to lift the lockdown after the Eid but backed down after coming under criticism.

Riyad Abdul Amir, the director of the Ministry of Health, said that the Ministry has called for a curfew throughout the Eid.

Its request has been approved by the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety in order to avoid a wider outbreak similar to the one witnessed a week after Eid al-Fitr.

For weeks, cases have been spiking but recoveries are increasing as well, according to Abdul Amir.

The tally of cases could possibly decline if citizens continue to abide by precautionary measures, he said.

Each citizen should work on protecting himself and his family because the virus shouldn’t be underrated, he added.

Total cases in Iraq surpassed 100,000 while recoveries reached 65 percent and deaths more than 4,000.

The People's Mobilization Committee (PMC) announced burying 77 COVID-19 patients from ten provinces in the new Wadi Al-Salam Cemetery in Najaf in the past 24 hours.

In a statement, PMC revealed that the death toll from all provinces had reached 3,549 by Wednesday.

In a headway that reflects containing the pandemic in Nineveh, the Tal Afar Department of Health announced shutting down quarantine facilities following the recovery of all patients.

It confirmed that the two centers in Tal Afar were closed after ensuring the recovery of all patients there.



Blinken Speaks to Israel’s Dermer about Humanitarian Situation in Gaza

 A man sits on rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
A man sits on rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
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Blinken Speaks to Israel’s Dermer about Humanitarian Situation in Gaza

 A man sits on rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
A man sits on rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the importance of improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza in a meeting with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer in Washington on Monday, the State Department said.

Dermer updated Blinken on operational changes and policy decisions taken by Israel in response to a US letter sent in October, the department said in a statement on Tuesday.

Blinken "emphasized the importance of ensuring those changes lead to an actual improvement in the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, including through the delivery of additional assistance to civilians throughout Gaza," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in the statement.