TASS - The first death from the novel coronavirus has been recorded in Iraq, the Rudaw TV channel reported, citing local authorities.

According to the channel, a 70-year-old man died of the virus in the Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan. He is said to have been a preacher. There is no information on whether he visited Iran before falling ill.

According to official data, a total of 32 coronavirus cases have been identified in Iraq so far, Rudaw said.
Coronavirus outbreak

In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, central China. Coronavirus cases have also been reported in more than 70 countries, including Russia.

According to the WHO, over 90,800 people have been infected with the virus across the world. The death toll has passed 2,900 in China, and over 160 people have died in other countries.

The WHO declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus a global health emergency and named the virus COVID-19.