Iraq Reports First Coronavirus Case in Student From Iran

BAGHDAD (Sputnik) - Iraq’s Ministry of Health and Environment announced Monday the first case of coronavirus in the country which was detected in an Iranian student who had recently arrived from the neighbouring country.

"Laboratory tests conducted on Sunday have revealed the novel coronavirus ... [It is] a student of religious studies (Iranian Nationality) who might have entered the country before the decision to ban travel [between Iran and Iraq] was made," the ministry said.

The ministry went on to say that the patient was transported to a specialised medical facility in the city of Najaf where he would be placed under quarantine.

Iran has been experiencing an outbreak in the novel coronavirus, with eight deaths reported so far. Iran’s Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi Monday estimated the total number of infected in the country to be around 60.

Earlier last week, Lebanon recorded its first case of coronavirus also in a person travelling from Iran.

Although numbers appear to be tailing off in coronavirus’ place of origin in China, isolated centres of the outbreak have are being detected in South Korea, Italy and Iran.