SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said on Monday public servants should get vaccinated by the end of this year, as part of efforts to contain coronavirus.
The Supreme Committee to Combat Coronavirus held a meeting in Erbil to discuss the current situation of the coronavirus in the Kurdistan Region.
The committee issued 11 decisions during the meeting, according to KRG spokesman Jotiar Adil.
Kurdish health officials have warned in the past few days that infection with COVID-19 is increasing in the Kurdistan Region, calling on people to follow health guidelines and get vaccinated.
As of Sunday, the Kurdistan Region had recorded 356,311 cases and 6,285 deaths, according to figures released by the health ministry.
“All KRG employees should be vaccinated by the end of this year,” Adil said, as he was reading the decisions in a press conference.
“All teachers and students who are eligible for vaccination should get vaccinated until the beginning of December,” he added.
“Wearing face masks will be mandatory for students and teachers,” he noted.
The committee also decided to ban gatherings and activities to prevent further spread of the virus, Adil said.
The committee also urged employees working at the restaurants, hotels and other public places to receive vaccines “as soon as possible”, he continued.
“Whoever is reckless to receive vaccines and wear masks will be punished,” the KRG spokesman added.
The committee also called on religious preachers to help in increasing awareness and publishing health instructions, Adil said.
Approximately 657,000 people have received coronavirus vaccines across the Kurdistan Region, according to the Iraqi health ministry.
