A member of medical staff is seen at a quarantine room of a hospital, following the outbreak of the new coronavirus, in the holy city of Najaf, Iraq February 24, 2020. REUTERS/Alaa al-Marjani
Iraq indefinitely extended an entry ban on travellers from China and Iran and instituted similar bans on travellers from Thailand, South Korean, Japan, Italy and Singapore, the health ministry said on Tuesday.
The entry ban is for travellers coming directly or indirectly from those counties but exempts Iraqi nationals, diplomats and official delegations, the ministry said in a statement. It advised Iraqis not to travel to those countries.
Schools and universities are suspended for 10 days in Najaf, where the first case of coronavirus was reported on Monday, and citizens are urged to avoid travelling to and from the province. (Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein; Editing by Alex Richardson)
