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BAGHDAD, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry on Tuesday reported 4,224 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of infections in the country to 298,702.

The ministry also confirmed 80 new deaths from the infectious disease, taking the death toll to 8,166. Meanwhile, 4,214 more patients recovered from the disease, bringing the total number of recoveries to 233,346.

The new cases included 1,312 in the capital Baghdad, 365 in Wasit, 283 in Nineveh, 265 in Duhok, 251 in Basra, 247 in Dhi Qar, 219 in Karbala, and 216 in al-Qadsiyah, while the other cases were detected in other provinces, the ministry said in a statement.

A total of 1,948,531 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February, with 22,141 done on Tuesday.

Despite the continuing resurgence in the pandemic, the Iraqi Higher Committee for Health and National Safety decided to ease the anti-coronavirus restrictions in recent days, by permitting people's movement among the country's provinces, reopening the border crossings, restaurants, tourist facilities of five-star hotels, and lifting the ban on sporting events.

China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad.

Since March 7, China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq. Enditem