Iraq’s Ministry of Health reported 3,346 news coronavirus infections on Friday, a new record in daily cases.
More than 124,600 people have been infected in Iraq and 4,741 have died.
Iraq is one of several countries in the Middle East that have been fighting rising numbers of new infections while also struggling with a severe heatwave this week.
In the capital Baghdad, two people were killed and 11 others injured during protests over electricity shortages, and lack of basic goods, that erupted in the capital’s Tahrir square earlier this week as temperatures reached 50C (122F).
Iraq announced a 10-day curfew after the country surpassed 100,000 Covid-19 cases on Sunday. The announcement came just before the Eid al-Adha holiday, which started on Thursday night.
The four-day holiday is normally marked by congregational Eid prayers, family gatherings and large feasts. Eid al-Adha follows on from the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which was also affected by coronavirus — instead of the usual 2 million, only 1,000 pilgrims were allowed to take part this year.
