An Iraqi man blesses a worker, wearing a mask, with incense on Tuesday in the courtyard of the shrine of Imam Ali in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf, where the first case of COVID-19 has been documented in Iraq. Photo: AFP

A team of Chinese experts have arrived in Iraq to help fight the spread of COVID-19. As the epidemic continued raging in the Middle East, Egypt reported the first death from the novel coronavirus on Sunday.

The seven-member Chinese team, which was sent by the Red Cross Society of China and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, arrived in the Iraqi capital Baghdad Saturday evening. 

They will stay in Iraq for a month to offer help in containing the COVID-19 outbreak, which is nearly under control in China after over a month-long nationwide campaign to stop its spread.

"China has gained great experience in combating coronavirus. Iraqis can benefit from its prevention, control, detection and treatment of the disease," Tao Zhongquan, leader of the expert team, told Xinhua.

For his part, Jasim al-Falahi, Iraqi deputy health minister, thanked the Chinese government for its help, which he said will "enhance prevention and control of the coronavirus epidemic in Iraq."

This was the second team of Chinese experts sent to the Middle East to help fight the epidemic, since the first Chinese team arrived in Iran on February 29.

Iran, the hardest-hit country by the epidemic in the Middle East, also offered help to Iraq. In meeting with Iraqi Health Minister Jaafar Alawi in Baghdad, Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Iran was ready to share its experience with Iraq in combating COVID-19.  

Meanwhile, Iraqi Health Ministry announced two new deaths from the coronavirus and six new cases of infection, bringing the total number of the confirmed cases to 60, of whom six have died.