BAGHDAD, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry on Friday called on the citizens to abide by health-protective measures against COVID-19, such as wearing masks, sanitizing hands and maintaining social distancing.

The ministry warned against ignoring the measures, saying that many of the new infections were for people who had already recovered from the disease.

"The health teams noticed that there is a great negligence by citizens of health-protective measures such as not wearing masks and holding weddings and condolences with dense gatherings," the ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the ministry reported 2,543 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total nationwide infections to 531,769.

It also reported 49 new deaths and 2,904 more recovered cases in the country, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 11,883 and the total recoveries to 460,394.

A total of 3,224,305 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February, with 22,222 done during the day, according to the statement.

Iraq has taken a series of measures to contain the pandemic since February when the first coronavirus case appeared in the country.

China has been helping Iraq fight 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 install an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad.

Since March 7, China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq. Enditem

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