Iraq said a 70-year-old cleric died on Wednesday from the novel coronavirus in the Kurdish province of Sulaimaniyah, the first death from the outbreak. The Iraqi preacher had been quarantined in the northeastern city of Sulaimaniyah before his death, a spokesman for the Kurdish autonomous regions health authority said. According to local sources, he had recently met with Iraqis returning from Iran, which has recorded the third deadliest outbreak outside China, the epidemic’s epicenter. Iraq has so far recorded 31 cases of COVID-19, one Iranian student who has since been sent home and 30 Iraqis who had all visited Iran recently. Iraqi authorities have closed land borders with Iran and banned the entry of foreign nationals traveling from there and other badly affected countries. Schools, universities, cinemas, cafes and other public places in Iraq have been ordered shut until March 7 to further contain the outbreak, but many continue to operate normally. Responding to Wednesdays death, Sulaimaniyah Governor Haval Abu Bakr told reporters that all rallies in the province will be banned and that all football matches will now be held behind closed doors.  Local religious authorities for their part announced a ban on mass prayers, including on Fridays, until further notice.