Early this year, Iraq was hit by the fast-spreading Omicron variant. Daily new cases peaked on January 28 at 8,554 before dropping in recent weeks. Photo: AFP
Early this year, Iraq was hit by the fast-spreading Omicron variant. Daily new cases peaked on January 28 at 8,554 before dropping in recent weeks. Photo: AFP
Early this year, Iraq was hit by the fast-spreading Omicron variant. Daily new cases peaked on January 28 at 8,554 before dropping in recent weeks. Photo: AFP
Early this year, Iraq was hit by the fast-spreading Omicron variant. Daily new cases peaked on January 28 at 8,554 before dropping in recent weeks. Photo: AFP

Iraq eases Covid-19 health measures for travellers


Sinan Mahmoud
  • English
  • Arabic

The Iraqi government on Monday announced it was easing coronavirus-related measures for travellers arriving to or leaving Iraq as the country emerged from the fourth wave of the pandemic.

The measures, approved during a meeting of the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety, will come into force starting April 1, a government statement read.

Vaccinated passengers are no longer required to present a negative PCR test and instead they only need to submit an international Covid-19 vaccination certificate, the government said.

The vaccination certificate must show that the passenger received either one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or two doses of other approved vaccines, it added.

Those who cannot be vaccinated owing to health reasons need to present a medical report certified by the Ministry of Health and a negative PCR test.

Early this year, Iraq was hit by the fast-spreading Omicron variant. Daily new cases peaked on January 28 at 8,554 before dropping in recent weeks to fewer than 1,000.

On Monday, the country registered 737 new cases and 18 deaths, taking the total number of confirmed infections to 2,308,928 and known fatalities to 25,068.

Even though Iraq has a mandatory vaccination programme, the coverage is low with only a little more than 10 million of the nearly 40 million population vaccinated.

Iraq’s Health Ministry has repeatedly tried to reassure people that the vaccines are not harmful, but this has not convinced more than half of the population who have a long-standing distrust of the government.

The Higher Committee for Health and National Safety also called on government ministries and agencies to follow up the vaccination of their employees as per regulations and to apply safety measures inside offices.

Students at government and private colleges will be allowed to attend classes in the 2022-2023 academic year, the statement added.

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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

'Ghostbusters: From Beyond'

Director: Jason Reitman

Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace

Rating: 2/5

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Five expert hiking tips
    Always check the weather forecast before setting off Make sure you have plenty of water Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon Wear appropriate clothing and footwear Take your litter home with you
How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

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Schedule:

Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)

Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)

Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)

Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)

Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four

Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai) 

Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)

Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)

Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 28: Final (Dubai)

Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Airev
Started: September 2023
Founder: Muhammad Khalid
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Generative AI
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
 
Dr Graham's three goals

Short term

Establish logistics and systems needed to globally deploy vaccines


Intermediate term

Build biomedical workforces in low- and middle-income nations


Long term

A prototype pathogen approach for pandemic preparedness  

Updated: March 07, 2022, 5:44 PM`