SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Wednesday ordered the closure of religious sites including mosques and churches in the Kurdistan Region.
“All the religious sites including mosques, churches, and temples will be closed from Thursday, April 1, 2021 until April 10, 2021,” the KRG’s Supreme Committee to Combat Coronavirus said in a statement.
The committee further said the decision made following a rise in coronavirus cases in the Kurdistan Region.
“No religious gathering will be allowed inside and outside of these places, just like the education centers and other places which have been closed for three weeks,” the supreme committee added.
Earlier on Wednesday, the ministry of health said it had recorded 981 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, making a new one-day record as the Region struggles to control its third wave of infections.
On Tuesday, the KRG also announced new restrictions to curb spread of the coronavirus.
Under the new restrictions, schools and universities remain closed until April 10, according to the KRG ministry of interior. Restaurants, cafeterias, clubs, game centers and other public places will be closed at 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. every day.
The ministry also said travel between the Kurdistan Region and other Iraqi provinces would be halted on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The measures came after Kurdish health officials warned of a surge in coronavirus cases in the Region.
*This story was updated at 09:22 p.m. EBL time
