Iraq bans entry of travellers from seven countries

With the spread of the coronavirus accelerating globally, Iraq has issued a ban on travellers from five countries.

Thailand, South Korean, Japan, Italy and Singapore make the list, while the authorities have indefinitely extended the entry ban on travellers from China.

The entry ban exempts Iraqi nationals, diplomats and official delegations, with the health ministry advising its citizens not to travel to those countries.

Schools and universities have also been suspended for 10 days in Najaf, where the first case of coronavirus was reported on Monday.

Meanwhile, the death toll in China touched 2,663, with more than 80,000 people infected in the country so far.