SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Authorities in Erbil said on Wednesday they will impose fines on people who do not wear face masks in public places.
In a statement, Erbil governorate’s operations room warned of a surge in coronavirus infections in the province.
The operations room issued a four-point decision to contain spread of the virus, saying the “situation is sensitive and the health situation of our city is dangerous, and the new virus variant is spreading, endangering the civilians’ lives”.
It further said it had directed the security forces and teams from the municipality to take legal actions against people who do not wear face masks in public places, including religious sites, malls, restaurants and cafeterias.
“All the institutions and directorates in Erbil governorate must follow the health guidelines and measures, particularly wearing masks, and they should not allow anybody to enter the building without face masks,” it added.
“Any directorate or employee who violates the decision will face legal measures,” it stated.
“We call on all sides to follow the health guidelines and to wear masks in this unstable and dangerous situation so that they won’t face legal measures,” the operations room said.
As of Tuesday, the Kurdistan Region had recorded 240,879 cases of COVID-19, with 4,834 deaths, according to the health ministry.
