An Iraqi official stated that the Ministry of Health and Environment sees a pressing need for a comprehensive health preventive lockdown in Iraq after the country has entered a dangerous phase due to the spread of the coronavirus. Dr. Riyad Al-Halfi, the Director General of the Public Health Department at the Ministry of Health and Environment in Iraq, told the government newspaper "Al-Sabah" published today, Monday, that the ministry believes a comprehensive lockdown is a practical solution for the epidemiological situation in Iraq.
He added that the government sees the enforcement of a lockdown as difficult to implement as it puts economic pressure on citizens, which prompts the government to consider excluding the adoption of a comprehensive lockdown despite the ministry's need to implement it after the country reached a dangerous phase due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
He explained that hospitals are suffering from a tremendous burden due to the number of infected individuals and the scarcity of hospital beds, noting that Iraq has currently reached the peak of the third phase characterized by rapid spread and increased numbers of infections and hospital admissions, most of whom are unvaccinated.
Al-Halfi stated, "Hospitals are filled with the infected, and we are in a dangerous phase facing significant challenges due to the immense pressure from patients and overcrowding in hospitals and the transmission of the virus among them."
Iraqi hospitals recorded 8,346 infections in the past few hours, bringing the total number of infections in Iraq to 1,712,709 new cases, in addition to an increase in the total number of deaths to 19,203 cases.
