Deputy Prime Minister Talabani chairs meeting of the coronavirus committee, reassures people of commitment to contain further infections

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (GOV.KRD) – Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani on Monday chaired the government's high-level committee to combat coronavirus. The committee spoke via videoconference to re-evaluate official curfew guidelines designed to protect people from the spread of COVID-19.

The Deputy Prime Minister spoke about the government’s upcoming plans and thanked healthcare professionals and the security forces for their crucial work. He also recognised the public’s commitment to following government guidelines and emphases that the guidelines are in place to save lives.

During the meeting, Minister of Health Saman Hussein Muhammad presented the latest figures on coronavirus in the Kurdistan Region.

The following decisions were made in the meeting after a careful review of the latest curfew guidelines.

1. The 48-hour curfew will remain in place until midnight (12 am).
2. The curfew decree banning travel through the Kurdistan Region until April 10 will remain in place until the Ministry of Interior, governorates and local administrations issue new guidelines, including a timeline for markets and grocery shops to open.
3. The government will determine a time for people across the Kurdistan Region to pay tribute to healthcare workers and security forces who have been working tirelessly in the fight against coronavirus.
4. Relevant departments in the KRG are asked to prepare their reports on future plans and guidelines to protect the public from this virus.
5. The Ministry of Interior will form a committee to investigate an incident involving a physician who was recently attacked in the province of Slemani.