Iraq reports 2,349 new COVID-19 cases, warns curfew may return

Baghdad [Iraq], November 19 (ANI/Xinhua): The Iraqi Health Ministry on Wednesday reported 2,349 new COVID-19 cases, warning "a full or partial curfew" could return amid the surge in cases.
"If we notice an increasing number of infections, then we will have to re-impose a full or partial curfew," said Riyadh Abdul-Amir, head of the ministry's Public Health Department, said in a press release, as the country's total number of cases has reached 526,852.
The ministry carried out many awareness campaigns but the citizens always failed to adhere to health protective measures, he noted.
Among the new 2,349 COVID-19 cases, 725 were detected in the capital Baghdad, 262 in Nineveh, 221 in Kirkuk, 204 in Diyala, and 200 in Duhok, the ministry said in a separate statement.
The ministry also reported 43 new deaths and 2,151 more recovered cases, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 11,795 and the total recoveries to 455,176.
A total of 3,182,819 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February, with 17,916 done during the day, according to the statement.
Iraq has taken a series of measures to contain the pandemic since February when the first coronavirus case appeared in the country. (ANI/Xinhua)