国际英语新闻:Iraq reports 2,466 new COVID-19 cases, 97,159 in total

BAGHDAD, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry on Tuesday recorded 2,466 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 97,159.

It reported 81 more deaths during the day, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 3,950. And 2,114 patients recovered, bringing the total recoveries from the disease to 64,950.

The new cases were recorded after 16,280 testing kits were used across the country during the day, and a total of 825,802 tests have been carried out since the outbreak of the disease, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, Manar Abdul-Mutalib, a female member of the Iraqi parliament, said in a press release that the "time has come to coexist with the coronavirus and lift both the full and partial curfews. But still, the citizens must strictly apply the preventive measures to avoid COVID-19 infection."

"The citizens across the country have lived difficult months with the pandemic due to the repercussions of the curfew, causing great harm to low-income people," she said.

On July 16, the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety, headed by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, decided to reduce the hours of the partial curfew, except for the full curfew on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

It also decided to completely lift the curfew after the Eid al-Adha holiday, which is expected to end in the early days of August according to the Islamic lunar calendar.

China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they help during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad.

Since March 7, China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq.