Iraq’s covid-19 infection rate has peaked for a third time, to a record high, putting dire pressure on an overloaded health care system. A special team of the al-Hashid al-Shabi, dedicated to burying victims of the coronavirus, in a desert graveyard outside Najaf. (Source: Ali al-Fahdawi via al-Hashid al-Shabi media office) Iraq has recorded its highest daily covid-19 case count since the beginning of the pandemic, as the spread of the Delta variant and widespread vaccine hesitancy plunge the country into a third wave of infections. There were 9,189 new cases recorded on Thursday, according to Ministry of Health figures, building on case numbers that have been rising since mid-May, as social distancing and mask-wearing are largely ignored. There were 31 more deaths, taking the overall toll to 17,444 since the beginning of the pandemic. Widespread vaccine hesitancy and supply issues mean that as of July 5, just 699,325 […]