Curfew in Iraq for 10 Days to Curb COVID-19 Spread

The Iraqi government decided today, Tuesday, to impose a comprehensive curfew across the country for 10 days starting from the 12th of this month to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The media office of the Iraqi government announced that the Council of Ministers approved, in a session held today, the recommendation of the Supreme Committee for Health and National Safety to impose the curfew from May 12 until May 22 in order to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic and implement preventive measures through social distancing and other health protocols. The statement clarified that this decision was made after the Ministry of Health and Environment recently recorded an increase in the number of infections across Iraq. The statement further mentioned that the curfew decision includes the closure of malls, restaurants, cafes, cinemas, parks, event halls, wedding venues, swimming pools, sports halls, and others, as well as a ban on all forms of gatherings.