Iraq reports 1,173 new Covid-19 cases, 587,676 in total

Baghdad [Iraq], December 24 (ANI/Xinhua): The Iraqi Health Ministry reported on Wednesday 1,173 new coronavirus cases, raising the nationwide tally to 587,676.
The new cases included 307 in the capital Baghdad, 185 in Kirkuk, 162 in Nineveh and 90 in Diyala, the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry also reported 12 new deaths, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 12,737, and 1,448 more recovered cases, bringing the total recoveries to 525,792.
A total of 4,257,654 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February, with 36,238 done during the day, according to the statement.
Meanwhile, the ministry said in a separate statement that it established a new laboratory for coronavirus testing, also the second one in the Medical City Hospital in central Baghdad.
Mohammed Ghanim Mahdi, director of the National Center of the Teaching Laboratories in the Medical City, said the new laboratory is equipped with modern devices with a capacity of more than 2,000 tests per day, according to the statement.
On Tuesday, the Iraqi authorities imposed new restrictive measures to protect the Iraqi people from a new strain of coronavirus that was recently found in many countries and is characterized by faster transmission. (ANI/Xinhua)