SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Thousands of Iraqi pilgrims walked the streets of Baghdad on Wednesday, spurring fears of another wave of COVID-19 on the heels of the papal visit.
Crowds of men and women clad in black defied tight security measures set up by Iraqi authorities to curtail the spread of the coronavirus during the annual pilgrimage, according to the Associated Press.
It is expected to reach its peak number of worshippers on Wednesday to commemorate the death of Imam al-Kadhim, a revered figure in Shia Islam.
Pilgrims, however, continue on their way to the shrine despite these regulations, AP reported. The event usually draws millions of pilgrims from around the world each year to Baghdad, to visit the gold-domed shrine containing the imam’s resting place.
Iraq is in the midst of a second wave of COVID-19, spurred chiefly by a more infectious strain that was first discovered in the UK.
Case numbers are climbing, with new infections surpassing a rate set six months ago.
On Tuesday, at least 22 people died in Iraq, while 4,610 new infections recorded in a 24-hour period, according the country’s health ministry.
The Iraqi government has imposed a full lockdown from Friday to Sunday, and partial curfew beginning at 8 p.m. and ending at 5 a.m. for the rest of the week.
