Iraq: Full Lockdown of Coronavirus Hotspots in Baghdad

Certain neighborhoods in the Iraqi capital Baghdad will go on full lockdown starting Wednesday in reaction to a spike in coronavirus infections since restrictions were relaxed. The lockdown will be imposed for two weeks, according to the country’s new health minister, Hassan al-Tamimi. The neighborhoods to be affected are mostly high-density and low income, and include Sadr City, Habibia, Hurriya and Kamalia. A 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew imposed to help control the outbreak had been relaxed in late April for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a move taken when fewer than 30 new daily cases on average were being reported. The country’s health authorities reported 144 new cases on Sunday. Iraq has seen a total of 3,554 confirmed infections since the pandemic began, and 127 deaths.