Iraq’s Health Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that it was not clear whether a death reported as Iraq’s first coronavirus death had in fact been from the new virus.

A local health department said earlier on Wednesday that an elderly man in the Kurdish province of Sulaimaniya had succumbed to the disease.

READ ALSO: No handshakes, no kissing: Italy issues new anti-coronavirus advice

Iraq has so far has recorded around 30 cases of the new coronavirus, one Iranian student who has since been sent home, plus Iraqis who had all visited Iran recently.

vanguard