According to Ministry of Health Spokesman, Kianoush Jahanpur, 2,389 new cases have been confirmed and 157 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours making it the worst day in official reports so far. He added, “More than 50 million Iranians have signed up at Salamat.gov.ir to be screened for symptoms and we ask everybody to participate in this program so we can defeat Coronavirus soon.”
Total: 29,406
Dead: 2,234
Healed: 10,457
Iran International reports 204 deaths in the same time period, bringing the death toll to 4,562.
You can also find out more about the stat and graphs by following this link.
In his online press conference, Jahanpur continued, “People coming back from their New Year vacation will not be allowed entering any town on the way until they reach their residence. The social distancing project and travel restrictions will help us pass the peak of COVID-19. There are three scenarios for the peak, optimistic, pessimistic and one in between, which would corresponds to April, June and May, respectively. Nobody can predict what may happen, but we hope it is in the next 3 weeks. If people don’t refrain from unnecessary travels, our next step would be to fine them or may even tow away their vehicle.” He added, “Government offices should be operating on a shift base schedule and only have a third of employees coming to work.”
On another online press conference, head of Food & Drug Administration, answered questions about Coronavirus treatment claims circulating around by different doctor groups and hospitals. He said, “We have created a scientific committee specifically for these claims and after assessing the methods and results, may share the results with all hospitals in order to treat the patients.” Answering a question about shortage of masks and other supplies, he said, “The numbers announced about discovering hoarders’ warehouses were all exaggerated. For example, they said 100million masks were confiscated but the Ministry of Health only received 10million of those!” IRGC intelligence and MOIS agents have been going hard at hoarders but where the rest of the discoveries went, we wouldn’t know!!
Despite all the pressure from Islamic Republic and their lobbyists in the US and other international organizations, US has not backed down from its “maximum pressure” policy. US Department of Treasury added more Iranian and Iraqi individuals and companies to the sanctions list today. While there are some opinions posted in NYTimes and WashingtonPost in defending Iran’s stance, there are many in its opposition but not mentioned in state-owned media in Iran. For example this opinion at WSJ and another one in NationalInterest.
With peak not being here yet and already more than 4,500 people dead, COVID-19 is ravaging through the country and Islamic Republic regime has not been managing it, instead using human sacrifices as a bargaining chip against US to ease sanctions! Iran’s economy was on the verge of collapse and by adding the impact of this epidemic, it would literally implode. Easing sanctions would mean stabilizing this brutal regime.