Published date: 5 February 2021 10:07 UTC | Last update: 1 month 2 weeks ago
Travel agencies in Iraq’s Basra are issuing fake PCR test results to allow passengers to fly abroad without confirming they are not carrying the coronavirus, Middle East Eye can reveal.
Like many countries worldwide, Iraq requires anyone passing through its airports to present a negative PCR test carried out within 72 hours of travel. The country has endured a punishing pandemic, recording over 13,000 Covid-related deaths to date, and fears are mounting over new variants circulating.
PCR tests can be acquired from governmental hospitals. In southern Iraq’s Basra, the main testing centre is at Al-Zubair GeneralHospital, about 22 km away from the city centre. The test costs 50,000 Iraqi dinars ($35).