Iraq reports 3,837 new Covid cases, 72 more deaths

Baghdad, Aug 26 (IANS) The Iraqi Health Ministry on Wednesday confirmed 3,837 new Covid cases, bringing the total nationwide infections to 215,784.

The ministry also reported 72 more deaths, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 6,668 in the country.

It also said that 3,454 people recovered during the day, bringing the total recoveries from the disease to 157,215, Xinhua news agency reported.

The new cases were recorded after 20,359 testing kits were used across the country during the past 24 hours. A total of 1,502,546 tests have been carried out since the outbreak of the disease, according to the ministry’s statement.

Meanwhile, Deputy Health Minister Hazim al-Jumaili told the official Iraqi News Agency that there is an increase in the number of recoveries which came as a result of better treatment in hospitals, “in terms of the availability of oxygen and ventilators, as well as all medicines that the patients need.”

Iraq has been taking a series of measures to contain the pandemic since February when the first coronavirus case appeared in the country.

China has been helping Iraq fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Iraq’s capital Baghdad.

–IANS

sdr/bg