ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Four cases of the coronavirus Covid-19 have been confirmed in the disputed province of Kirkuk, Iraq’s health ministry said Tuesday.

Officials said the four individuals, Iraqi nationals of the same family, had recently returned from neighbouring Iran, where at least 95 people have contracted the virus and 15 have died, according to Iranian health officials.

The first case of the virus in Iraq was confirmed on Monday when an Iranian student in the Shiite holy city of Najaf tested positive.

“The Iraqi Ministry of Health and Environment confirms four new cases of coronavirus in Kirkuk province in an Iraqi family who returned from a visit to Iran,” Tuesday's statement reads.

“The family has been placed under heath quarantine and medical checks have been carried out by specialized medical and health employees, and test results showed the family having contracted coronavirus,” it said.

“All measures based on international health regulations to deal with the case were undertaken, and those who have been in physical contact should kindly cooperate with the implementation of measures,” it added.

Iraq and the Kurdistan Region have closed all land border crossings with Iran and canceled commercial flights serving Iranian airports in a bid to contain the virus.

Iraqis currently in Iran must undergo a 14-day monitoring period after crossing the border before they are allowed to return home, and are also being checked at their homes by medical teams, according to an order issued by the Iraqi Ministry of Health and the Environment.

Furthermore, Iraqis are not permitted to visit Iran unless they are part of a diplomatic delegation, and the federal government has suspended all Iraqi Airlines flights serving Najaf and Baghdad routes to Iran until further notice.

The coronavirus, also known as Covid-19, originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan on December 31 and has killed at least 2,700 people and infecting more than 80,000 worldwide.

Rudaw