BAGHDAD, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry reported on Thursday 2,369 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily record in 2021, bringing the tally to 636,908.

The ministry also reported four new deaths, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 13,144, while the total recoveries in Iraq climbed by 994 to 603,814.

A total of 6,108,475 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February 2020, with 47,658 done during the day, according to the statement.

The latest increase in daily infections prompted the ministry to issue a separate statement warning that the increase of infections continues, the country's health institutions could collapse.

"We are still in a continuous increase in the number of infections and a noticeable decline in the daily recovery," the statement said. "This may lead us to a more severe and dangerous wave that may lead to the collapse of health institutions."

For his part, Ministry of Health spokesman Sayf al-Badr said in a press release "once again, there was an increase in coronavirus infection within the past 24 hours," al-Badr said, adding "this is what the minister of health repeatedly warned that Iraq was and is still in danger."

We have confirmed the need to continue adhering to health-protective measures to curb the increase of infections, but there was no real response from the people, al-Badr added.

China has been helping Iraq in its fight against the pandemic. On Feb. 4, the Chinese Embassy in Iraq said the Chinese government donated 50,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to Iraq.

Earlier, the Iraqi Health Ministry said the Iraqi National Board for Selection of Drugs had approved the emergency use of China's Sinopharm and Britain's AstraZeneca vaccines to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

From March 7 to April 26 in 2020, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help fight the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad.

China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq.