A member of the Iraqi civil defense sprays disinfectant on and around a building where Islamic students are quarantined for having had contact with Iraq's first confirmed case of novel coronavirus infection, in the central holy city of Najaf, on February 26, 2020. (Photo: AFP)

BAGHDAD, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Iraq announced a new case of novel coronavirus disease in the country's capital Baghdad on Thursday, bringing the total number in Iraq to six.

A statement by the Iraqi Health Ministry said it has detected a new case of coronavirus for an Iraqi young man who returned to Baghdad from neighboring Iran and was admitted to a hospital, where he was tested positive and was kept in quarantine in accordance with the international procedures.

Recently, the Iraqi authorities have been taking a series of precautionary measures to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus after cases of the disease were confirmed earlier in the provinces of Najaf and Kirkuk.