Shafaq News/ Spokesperson to the Iraqi Ministry of Health (MoH) Seif al-Badr warns of the high transmission rates of the Omicron variant of the novel Coronavirus, urging the citizens to abide by the preventive measures against the COVID-19 pandemic and get their vaccine shots.

In a statement to Shafaq News Agency, al-Badr said that registering the first case of the Omicron variant was only a matter of time.

"Non-compliance to the preventive measure has become a phenomenon in all the Iraqi cities," he said.

"Again, I confirm, officially, that the Ministry has the capacity to deal with the variant. We have anticipated it for weeks, and we are ready. We have thousands of empty beds to commensurate any spurt in the infection rates, including thousands of critical care beds as well."

"We also provided an updated treatment protocol to all the healthcare facilities. The Iraqi government has actively sought to develop its diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities by both equipping hospitals and laboratories and training the staff."

Earlier today, Kurdistan's Minister of Health Saman Barzanji said that five COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant have been detected in Duhok.

Barzanji said in a press conference earlier today, "the patients are members of the same family. They live in Duhok and recently returned from abroad."

The Minister added that their condition is stable and does not require medical care.

"Duhok's health directorate has taken the necessary measures to prevent the spread of the virus," he said.

The Minister did not reveal the country the patients returned from.

The Iraqi Ministry of Health announced today registering Omicron cases among members of a family that just returned to the country and a group of foreign diplomats.