Shafaq News/ The Iraqi government will extend the nationwide curfew intended to rein the spread of COVID-19 through March 22; a statement cited the Supreme Commission for National Safety said.

The General Secretariat of the Iraqi Council of Ministers attributed the decision to "the current dangerous status of the pandemic, and the accompanying indices predicting a surge in the new and critical cases. The current COVID-19 data indicate a rise in the rates of infection and hospitalization."

"A total lockdown shall be imposed on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday; and a partial lockdown from 08:00 pm till 05:00 am, starting from  9/3/2021 until 22/3/2021," the statement added. 

The statement authorized the healthcare teams and security forces to keep tabs on the implementation of the restrictions and take legal measures against the violators. 

Iraq announced a nationwide curfew on February 13, shutting down schools and public places (including mosques and beauty saloons) to contain the virus's spread.