Hiwa Shilani | MESOP NEWS – Officials, security forces during the lift of the quarantine at the residential complex’s main entrance road, April 5, 2020.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Health authorities in the Kurdistan Region’s Erbil on Sunday lifted a quarantine on a residential area after confirming it was free of the new coronavirus disease, officially referred to as COVID-19.

“Today, the test results of 100 individuals from the Sebiran compound came in, all of which were negative for the coronavirus,” Kurdistan 24 correspondent Aras Ahmed reported at the site.After a 15-day quarantine expired, the authorities lifted the restrictions placed on Sebiran to contain a potential outbreak.

The initial order came on March 22, when an individual returned to the Sebiran suburbs from Iran without reporting to the authorities and later tested positive for the coronavirus.

Since then, several COVID-19 infections have been confirmed at Sebiran, which includes more than 1400 homes and a population of more than 5,000.

Related Article: KRG imposes curfews, orders quarantine of those returning from abroad as infections continue

Tolla Mahdi, the mayor of the Rizgari subdistrict, of which Sebiran is a part, spoke with Kurdistan 24 on the situation at the area.

“The quarantine was to be lifted yesterday,” said Mahdi, explaining that it was extended by one day to wait for the results of the COVID-19 tests.

The official affirmed that the Peshmerga forces surrounding the compound would depart, but noted that the security forces would remain to continue to implement the ongoing curfew.

Mahdi also said that at the request of the Erbil governor, Sebiran would be sprayed with disinfectants.

Editing by Kosar Nawzad

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