SULAIMANI (ESTA) — At least 40 people were detained in Kirkuk for violating precautionary measures taken to curb spread of coronavirus, according to police.
Spokesman of Kirkuk Police Amir Nuri told Esta Media Network on Sunday that the security forces had detained 40 people in the city over the past three days.
Nuri said the detainees had violated measures and guidelines issued by Kirkuk Crisis Cell to curb spread of the coronavirus in the province.
“Police released them after they were fined,” he added.
New lockdown measures came into effect in Iraq on Friday as it recorded its highest new COVID-19 caseload this year.
Authorities announced new overnight curfews began on February 18, from 08:00 p.m. until 05:00 a.m., as well as full lockdowns on Friday, Saturdays and Sundays.
Iraq has been among the countries hardest-hit by coronavirus in the Middle East, with more than 667,900 reported cases and over 13,270 deaths.
It has also blamed the new “UK strain,” which emerged in southern England in December and is thought to be more contagious than others.
Iraqi minister of health Hassan al-Tamimi said on Saturday that more than 50% of the new reported cases were the new virus strain.
