Iraq is working hard to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, which had infected 382 people in the country as of March 26, killing 36. However, people’s refusal to comply with government instructions threatens to exacerbate the health situation.

The Baghdad Operations Command warned residents of the capital March 25 to abide by the 24-hour curfew imposed last week or be ready to face severe consequences. The command announced March 24 that 1,542 individuals had been arrested and 557 vehicles seized since March 17. 

Iraq has formed a crisis task force, based on orders from the Cabinet, to fight the COVID-19 outbreak. As soon as it was formed, the task force made decisions to suspend schools and universities and reduce the working hours of government institutions. However, the task force felt that this was not enough and imposed a curfew from March 17-24, which was extended for another week and is expected to be extended again.

The curfew coincided with the commemoration of the death of the seventh Shiite imam; thousands of Iraqi Shiites usually flood to Musa al-Kadhim's burial site near Karkh in Baghdad for the occasion.