Baghdad, May 11 (IANS) Iraqi health authorities have said that the country's laboratories don't have the ability to identify the double mutant coronavirus variant detected in India until a new testing lab is erected.

Riyadh Abdul-Amir, head of the Public Health Department, told the official Iraqi News Agency on Monday that the Indian variant cannot be identified until the building of the new genetic testing laboratory for viruses is completed in two months, reports Xinhua news agency.

"We still do not know whether the vaccines are effective, but taking vaccines is still the best option for citizens," Abdul-Amir noted.

Meanwhile, a statement by the Ministry of Health reported 4,902 new Covid-19 cases, raising the total nationwide tally to 1,117,627.

It also reported 29 new fatalities, raising the death toll to 15,800, while the total recoveries climbed to 1,011,606.

A total of 9,707,527 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February 2020.

--IANS ksk/