A hallway at Basra University Hospital, where coronavirus patients with Covid-19 are treated, in the southern Iraqi city on April 1, 2020. AFP
A hallway at Basra University Hospital, where coronavirus patients with Covid-19 are treated, in the southern Iraqi city on April 1, 2020. AFP
A hallway at Basra University Hospital, where coronavirus patients with Covid-19 are treated, in the southern Iraqi city on April 1, 2020. AFP
A hallway at Basra University Hospital, where coronavirus patients with Covid-19 are treated, in the southern Iraqi city on April 1, 2020. AFP

WHO expects Iraq’s coronavirus cases to rise sharply within 10 days


Mina Aldroubi
  • English
  • Arabic

Iraq’s coronavirus cases will sharply rise within the next 10 days, the World Health Organisation said, as the death toll in the country climbed to 51 on Wednesday.

Iraq, struggling to cope with a devastated health system, has 697 known infections, making it one of the worst-affected countries in the region.

Because testing is limited many believe the number to be much higher.

Dr Adham Ismail, the WHO's representative in Iraq, said the increase in testing will be of “high importance in terms of infection transmission and control”.

The WHO says the figures are “still moderate so far but expects a spike in the coming weeks” because of the increase in testing.

A total of 169 recoveries have been confirmed in the past 24 hours.

Most confirmed patients have travelled to badly affected destinations such as Iran, China and Europe.

“Three laboratories became operational for Covid-19 testing in Najaf, Basra and Baghdad Medical City in Baghdad," the WHO said.

"This has increased the numbers of tested cases to more than 4,500 tests a day, compared to a maximum of 100 a day a few weeks ago."

The eruption of the virus in neighbouring Iran increased the likelihood of the disease spreading in Iraq, the organisation said.

“It necessitated faster prevention and infection control measures, especially in the holy cities and pilgrimage sites, bordering governorates and vulnerable communities in internally displaced people and refugee camps.”

The spokesman for Iraq’s Health Ministry, Said Al Badr, said on Wednesday that the health sector lacked equipment, staff and preparation for the outbreak.

“Until now we are controlling the situation but will face a series of challenges if our requests are not met by the government,” Mr Al Badr said.

The ministry has appealed for help from the government in Baghdad several times and claims it has little funding to combat the crisis.

Health Minister Jaafar Allawi requested $5 million (Dh18.3m) in emergency funds from the government after Iraq recorded its first case, but received no answer.

Mr Allawi had to turn to a Shiite cleric for assistance.

“There is no money and we are in a difficult situation,” Mr Allawi told the cleric in a video shared widely online.

More than 4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Iraq.

Many people, especially the most vulnerable, are unable to independently meet their basic needs such as food and shelter, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.

"We fear the worst for people in prisons and displacement camps," Jessica Moussan of the ICRC told The National.

"Physical distancing is a privilege that is simply not available to people in these places.

“People who have been displaced are often already vulnerable to health complications, while detention facilities that are overcrowded pose an extra challenge in preventing or containing infectious diseases."

The development coincides with the arrival in Baghdad this week of Brig Gen Esmail Qaani, the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force.

It is Brig Qaani’s first public visit since he succeeded Qassem Suleimani, who was assassinated in early January.

He landed at Baghdad’s international airport as the outbreak of the virus forced authorities to impose a curfew and halt all incoming and outgoing flights.

Suleimani visited Iraq regularly during its political and social crises, and had strong relations with the country’s religious and political factions.

He was known for his ability to make even Iraqi rivals hash out their differences and forge unity during times of political paralysis.

Prime minister-designate Adnan Al Zurfi has several weeks to form a new cabinet and present it to Parliament for approval.

But Mr Al Zurfi he is having difficulty swaying powerful Shiite political parties to vote in his favour.

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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

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UAE

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Japan

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The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now

RESULTS
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The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
The Farewell

Director: Lulu Wang

Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma

Four stars

Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 402bhp

Torque: 760Nm

Price: From Dh280,000

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

The specs: 2018 BMW X2 and X3

Price, as tested: Dh255,150 (X2); Dh383,250 (X3)

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder (X2); 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder (X3)

Power 192hp @ 5,000rpm (X2); 355hp @ 5,500rpm (X3)

Torque: 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (X2); 500Nm @ 1,520rpm (X3)

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic (X2); Eight-speed automatic (X3)

Fuel consumption, combined: 5.7L / 100km (X2); 8.3L / 100km (X3)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
PROFILE OF HALAN

Started: November 2017

Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport and logistics

Size: 150 employees

Investment: approximately $8 million

Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
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Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.

Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.

"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed

Based: Muscat

Launch year: 2018

Number of employees: 40

Sector: Online food delivery

Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception 

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

'Top Gun: Maverick'

Rating: 4/5

 

Directed by: Joseph Kosinski

 

Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris

 
GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Stree

Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5

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