BAGHDAD, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Ministry of Health said Saturday that Iraq entered the "third wave" of coronavirus pandemic, while the ministry reported 4,814 new COVID-19 infections.
Spokesman of the ministry Sayf al-Badr told the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) that "the new wave in the country is more severe and dangerous than the previous waves that entered the country."
"Confronting the new wave requires focusing on precautionary measures, especially wearing masks and social distancing, in addition to vaccination," al-Badr said, stressing that the ministry has a plan to enhance the vaccination process by increasing the vaccination centers in Baghdad and other Iraqi provinces.
Separately, Ruba Falah, head of the ministry's media office, said in a press release that she predicts "strict and tough measures to curb the spread of the pandemic and prevent the entry of any other variants."
Meanwhile, Iraq reported 4,814 new COVID-19 cases during the past 24 hours, raising the total nationwide tally to 1,321,232, said a statement by the health ministry.
The ministry also reported 28 new deaths, raising the death toll from the virus to 17,061, while the total recoveries in Iraq climbed by 4,465 to 1,226,959.
It also said that the total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Iraq so far reached 842,964.
Iraq has been pushing forward its vaccination drive since the drug authority approved the emergency use of China's Sinopharm vaccine and other COVID-19 vaccines. Enditem