ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Health authorities have recorded 209 new

coronavirus cases and 6 virus-related deaths in the Kurdistan Region, its

highest 24-hour death and case tolls since the outbreak began.

All six deaths were recorded in Sulaimani province, the Kurdistan Regional
Government (KRG) health ministry statement said.

Broken down by province, 130 new cases were recorded in Sulaimani, 56 in

Erbil, and 23 in Duhok, the statement added.

The record-high numbers follow the Iraqi health ministry statement's

announcement earlier on Saturday of the country's highest-ever single-day
coronavirus death toll, with 53 deaths having been recorded nationwide,
including the Kurdistan Region.

To date, 2,101 cases of the COVID-19 virus have been recorded in the
Kurdistan Region, according to an interactive dashboard from the KRG.

The Kurdistan Region has seen 42 virus-related deaths so far, and 1,427
active cases remain.

Upon a call from the KRG health ministry to respond to the growth in cases,
private Kurdistan Region hospitals are gearing up to admitting coronavirus
patients for treatment free of charge.

Dr. Dashti Dzaiyee, the head of Zheen International Hospital in Erbil, told
Rudaw on Saturday that his facility has already informed the ministry that they
are "ready to take in coronavirus patients...once government hospitals are
full."

"It will be better for coronavirus patients who are in a critical condition to be
kept at the intensive care units of private hospitals," Dizayee said.

According to KRG health ministry data, 50 of the Kurdistan Region's 126

hospitals are privately run. Altogether, the Region's hospitals house 9,681
beds.

Viyan Jaff heads up the planning department at the health ministry. Jaff said
that hotels across the Kurdistan Region have been repurposed to receive
those who have tested positive for COVID-19 but are not showing symptoms.

"The private hospitals have agreed to work for us for free," she said, "but we
are at the stage where we're still using government hospitals."