Iraq reports first death from COVID-19

A 70-year-old man who was confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 on Wednesday in the Iraqi province of Sulaimaniyah has died, a health official said.

It is the first death from the novel coronavirus in Iraq, said Sabah Hourami from the health authority of Sulaimaniyah in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, in a statement, Xinhua reported.

So far, Iraq has reported 32 COVID-19 cases, with 14 in capital Baghdad, five in the province of Kirkuk, five in Sulaimaniyah, one in Babil, one in Maysan, three in Najaf, two in Wasit and one in Karbala.

The Iraqi authorities have been taking a series of precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus after cases were confirmed in the country. IANS