ERBIL - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister has called on the citizens to keep practicing social distancing as the epidemic situation continues to deteriorate.

"Coronavirus is on the rise again," Barzani wrote on Twitter on Thursday evening. “”For the sake of ourselves and our families it is critical that we all keep taking the necessary precautions, including social distancing."

Barzani's call came after the health ministry said earlier the day that it had recorded a total of 1,308 new infections of COVID-19 within 24 hours, the highest daily number of cases since March.

The Kurdistan Region has so far seen a total of 66,131 coronavirus cases, from which 2,243 patients have died while nearly 39,000 recovered.