Duhok governor ordered the Cham-Mishko camp to be closed temporarily as a case of COVID-19 infection inside the camp has been confirmed.
One of the camp’s residents, a soldier in the Iraqi army, had returned to the camp from Shirgat recently. The man was ill and tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
Ma’mun Yahya, director of the Cham-Mishko camp, told KirkukNow: “The soldier resides in the camp and his unit is stationed in Shirgat. We don’t know how he was allowed to pass through the checkpoints between Duhok and Nineveh to return to Zakho and mingle with the IDPs.”
Two days before returning to the camp he had been tested, but before getting the result, he’d come back to the camp
“Two days before returning to the camp he had been tested, but before getting the result, he’d come back to the camp.”
On Tuesday, his test results returned and showed that he had contracted the virus. He was then sent to a hospital in Dukok city.
Yahya said: “Four members of his family have been put in quarantine. And under orders from the Health Committee and Duhok governor, the camp’s doors were temporarily closed.”
Duhok, 5 August 2020 – the entrance of Cham-Mishko camp in Zakho – Photo by KirkukNow
Cham-Mishko camo is located in Zakho district in Duhok. There are more than 26,000 IDPs from Shingal. It is considered one of the biggest camps in terms of number of residents.
Ismael Muhammad, Duhok governor’s deputy in charge of IDP affairs, told KirkukNow: “A 48-hour test was done for the person who is infected with the Coronavirus, but prior to getting the test results, he went back to the camp.”
For the sake of the safety of the displaced, we decided to close the camp’s doors for an undetermined length of time
“For the sake of the safety of the displaced, we decided to close the camp’s doors for an undetermined length of time.”
This is the first confirmed case of COVID-19 infection in the IDP camps in Duhok.
Ismael Muhammad added: “We have tightened the health measures significantly in the all the camps. Any displaced individual who works outside Duhok province must have a [recent] Coronavirus test results, otherwise they are not allowed to enter the camps.”
