Iraq suspends sports events due to coronavirus

A health official takes a sample from a student to do a test for coronavirus (Covid-19) at a school in Sadr City area of Baghdad, Iraq on 6 December 2020. [Murtadha Al-Sudani – Anadolu Agency]

All sports events in Iraq will be suspended to avoid big gatherings as coronavirus numbers continue to rise across the country, the Ministry of Health announced yesterday.

Sayf Al-Badr told the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) that all events which involve large gatherings will be postponed following “orders by the Iraqi National Supreme Health and Safety Committee”.

He explained that the decision included “all matches”, stressing that there were no exceptions. The move came as part of the government’s precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

So far, a total of 646,650 people have contracted COVID-19 in Iraq, 13,185 of whom have died, and 608,178 others have recovered.

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