Baghdad, Jun 13 (IANS):June 13 (IANS) The Iraqi Health Ministry recorded 1,095 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections to 17,770 in the country.

According to a statement of the ministry on Friday, 39 more people died from the coronavirus during the day, bringing the death toll to 496, while 6,868 patients have recovered, Xinhua news agency reported.

The new cases were recorded after 9,757 test kits were used across the country during the past 24 hours, and a total of 349,625 tests have been conducted since the outbreak of the disease, the statement added.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Minister of Health Hassan al-Tamimi said in a statement that the ministry is preparing new quarantine centres in the halls of Baghdad International Fair in western Baghdad.

"The quarantine centres in the fair's halls will be ready in the coming week after providing them with some medical equipment, including establishing a laboratory to test coronavirus," he added.

On June 6, the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety, headed by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, took several measures including the continuation of the full curfew until June 13, and then replacing it with a partial curfew starting on June 14.

The committee also decided to prevent the movement between provinces, except for the health, security and public service personnel, and ordered security forces to tighten the control of the implementation of health restrictions.

China has been helping Iraq with the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad.

China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq.