TEHRAN, March 14 (Xinhua) -- All the flights from Iraq to Iran were suspended for one week as of Sunday, the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization announced in a statement.
This decision was made as a preemptive measure to protect the health of the Iranian citizens amidst the spread of a mutated type of COVID-19, said the statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.
All the airlines are required to inform their passengers about the new measure in a timely manner, it added.
Iran on Sunday warned of the resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic during the upcoming Iranian new year Nowruz starting on March 20.
The observance of health protocols in Iran has reached its lowest level in the past four months, said Sima Sadat Lari, the spokeswoman for Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education.
Iran reported 7,593 COVID-19 cases and 88 new deaths on Sunday, raising the total nationwide infections to 1,746,953 and the death toll to 61,230, said Lari.
A total of 1,492,488 people have recovered from the disease in Iran, while 3,831 others remained in intensive care units, she added.
