Egypt has sent medical help to Iraq to help the country face the coronavirus outbreak.
On Saturday, a military cargo plane carrying medical supplies and sanitizers took off from East Cairo airbase to Iraq and was received by a number of Iraqi officials in Baghdad.
The move was initiated by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.
Iraq’s Ambassador in Cairo Ahmed Nayef said the aid will assist the Iraqi health sector in its combat against the coronavirus crisis.
Nayef and Iraqi officials appreciate Egypt’s support of Iraq at this critical time, the statement added.
Iraq has recorded 256,710 coronavirus cases since February, including 7,422 deaths and 195,259 fully recovered patients.
Iraq recorded its highest single-day rise in coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic on Friday September 4.
The country’s health ministry said it recorded 5,036 new coronavirus infections across the country.
The health ministry attributed the spike to recent “large gatherings” held without recommended safety measures, including mask-wearing or social distancing.
“The number of cases is expected to escalate further in the coming days, which we fear will lead our health institutions out of control as they try to deal with these large numbers,” its statement said.
In June, doctors had warned that a surge in cases is imminent and that the healthcare system is close to collapse.