Today, Saturday, Iraqi Health Minister Hassan Al-Tamimi warned of the increase in the number of Coronavirus infections, which he attributed to the citizens' lack of commitment to the ministry's recommendations.
The minister's warning comes with the approach of the month of Muharram, which begins after about 12 days, and which usually includes hundreds of thousands of visits to the city of Karbala (in the south of the country), where the shrine of Imam Hussein bin Ali, may God be pleased with them.
The minister confirmed that the expert committee will submit recommendations to the Supreme National Committee for Health and Safety regarding the days after Eid al-Adha and the month of Muharram.
During his visit today to Najaf Governorate, in the south of the country, Al-Tamimi told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that the Ministry of Health has provided all capabilities, and that all medicines used in international protocols are available in large quantities in Iraq.
Al-Tamimi’s warning comes a day after Iraq recorded its highest daily death toll from Coronavirus infections, as on Friday, it recorded 75 deaths from disease, and 3,461 new infections.
According to the Iraqi Ministry of Health, the total number of people infected with the virus increased to more than 144,000, and 5,236 deaths across the country.
Yesterday, Friday, the Ministry of Health denied relying on the "herd immunity" policy to confront Corona, noting that a committee of experts is following up on epidemiological developments to determine the priorities of the next phase.
The ministry's spokesman, Saif Al-Badr, said that the decisions issued by the ministry regarding dealing with the Corona virus are not improvisational, but rather, experts are being sought.
Al-Badr pointed out that the ministry has a committee of experts and advisors who meet on a daily basis to determine the priorities of the stage according to epidemiological developments, stressing that the ministry did not rely on the "herd immunity policy", but rather on the strategy of early detection and treatment of cases, focusing on high-test categories, and awareness. Health in general.
Al-Badr added that Iraq is on the verge of visiting the month of Muharram, and there must be pressure on specific areas in some provinces that contain religious thresholds, explaining that the ministry has not identified the areas covered by the quarantine so far.
The Karbala governorate recently decided not to receive visitors to religious shrines until 13 Muharram, in response to the instructions of the Crisis Cell on the Corona pandemic.
Prime Minister @MAKadhimi receives the President and a number of members of the Council of the Iraqi Doctors Syndicate, in the presence of the Minister of Health and Environment, Mr. Hassan Al-Tamimi. During the meeting, they discussed the implications of the Corona pandemic, the efforts made to surround the pandemic, and the measures to prevent the spread of the disease. pic.twitter.com/HajOABwp5Q
- Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi (@ DL4zsi9EiLOvSj1) August 6, 2020
Infections
by the millions For his part, a member of the Iraqi parliament, Hassan, supported that the number of people infected with the virus would reach millions.
He blamed the government's support for the high number of people infected with Corona, and accused it of being lax in dealing with violators.
Regarding his expectations related to the increase in the number of injured to millions, he indicated in a statement to local media that "Iraq will record millions of injuries during the coming days due to the presence of large numbers of injured people who refuse to visit hospitals."