First coronavirus case confirmed in Iraq

The health ministry in Iraq on Monday confirmed the first case of coronavirus in the nation, according to a statement.

The confirmed case is an Iranian national who is a student of religious sciences who entered the country before the country banned entry to non-Iraqis coming from Iran, the health ministry said. 

“All measures were taken and in accordance with the International Health Regulations to deal with the situation,” the ministry said in a statement, according to an English translation of the statement on the health ministry’s website.

The announcement comes as the virus has spread globally since originating in China. 

Iran, which borders Iraq, has reported a total of 61 infections and 12 deaths, but a lawmaker representing the Iranian city of Qom contradicted the nation’s numbers, reportedly saying 50 people in the city have died of the virus.

The overwhelming majority of cases globally are still centered in mainland China. The nation reported 150 new deaths and 409 new cases on Monday, bringing the death toll to 2,592 and the total number of cases to 77,150 in the nation.