Coronavirus is crushing Iran and soon will spread across the Middle East if it is not contained! The Islamic Republic regime has covered up the arrival of the COVID-19 into the country for political reasons including “maximum turnouts” at the pro-regime Feb 11, 2020 demonstration of their 41st anniversary, and then the sham parliamentary “election” on Feb 21, 2020 (not to mention they both epically failed). Now, it has gotten so much out of hands that the officials don’t know how to control it. The whole country is affected, and everybody is going out of their minds.
How did it get to Iran?
The patients in Qom (where it was officially started) and other cities hasn’t had any travel history to China or other infected countries. You can find out more about the updates here.
They claim they don’t know how the virus entered the country, but it’s been weeks since Iranians are demanding the government to stop flights to/from China to no avail. Qom, Mashhad, Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz are main tourist destinations and Corona started from there. Most likely one of the Chinese tourists was a carrier. There was no screening or quarantine process in place for thousands of Chinese coming into the country.
What is the government doing about it?
The government is still in denial and doesn’t announce accurate data because they don’t know the scale of the devastation their ignorance has caused. They are also downplaying it for the people in order to prevent panic, but it’s too late. It’s hard to see people dying from a disease within days and not panic. IRIB airs different programs “assuring” people everything is fine but, nothing is.
Head of Qom University of Medical Sciences said, “There are more cases in Qom but I’m not allowed to say the number.” It was also in the news that 2 suspected cases signed AMA (against medical advice) and left a hospital in Qom.
Now that quarantine is not an option, they say quarantine has never been the answer! China failed at it, so it shouldn’t be done.
Khamenei’s representative in Qom said: “Trump has targeted Qom, and with Coronavirus excuse wants to ruin our city’s culture, but he’s going to take this wish to his grave.”
The cyber police have arrested more than 30 people across the country for “spreading rumors about Coronavirus.” Videos of patients, doctors, nurses have been circulating around in social media platforms. You can find some of them on this page. Police has warned people not to spread fear or rumors about Coronavirus or they risk of getting arrested.
The dead have not had proper and safe burial. The family have been asked to take the body from morgue, transfer and bury it themselves without any isolation.
An internal message between hospital staff shows they’re asked not to share the number of cases with ANYBODY!
At the time of this writing (9 AM local time), the government has closed down all schools in Tehran, Alborz, Boushehr, Semnan, Mazandaran, Gilan, Qazvin, Kashan, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Ardebil, Zanjan, Hamedan, Golestan, Qom and Markazi till the end of the week, and West Azerbaijan for today (it will probably be extended).
Universities in Tehran, Qom, Hamedan, Qazvin, Markazi, Golestan, Mazandaran, Isfahan, Gilan, Lorestan and Alborz are also closed till further notice.
Yazd announced ALL universities close till April.
All movie theaters and shows are closed across the country till further notice. All sports events are suspended for 10 days. All soccer matches are held without spectators.
What are people doing about it?
Update @18:40 local time: People set fire on Hashtpar Hospital in Talesh, Gilan, N Iran in protest against bad condition of Corona patients and lack of proper care.
There are videos and news of unrest from Talesh, Gilan, North of Iran that people were protesting in front of Shahid Nourani Hospital against the coverup of the disease! There were dispersed by tear gas.
Students of Shahid Beheshti University gathered outside the university demanding closure of the school to stop spreading Coronavirus.
There is shortage of masks, disinfectants and other medical supplies across the country. The prices have soared and many can’t even afford to protect themselves.
Hospital staff in a few towns are going on strike due to nonpayment of their wages for a few months plus lack of protective gears/supplies against the disease.
A few of the officials contracted the virus
Mayor of Tehran Area 13, Mojtaba Rahmanzadeh, is confirmed having the virus. He’s been sick for more than 2 weeks but still went to meetings at high levels including Tehran City Council. He’s been in close contact with Mohsen Hashemi, Tehran City Council Chair who is suspected of having the disease. Hashemi has met Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s Foreign Minister, and him had meetings with Netherlands officials.
There are also unconfirmed reports of Ismael Qaani, commander of IRGC Quds, being infected with COVID-19.
Update @17:30 local time: Two parliament representatives who have just come back from overseas trips have been confirmed to have contracted COVID-19. Ilham Fakhri, Tehran City Council member is admitted to the hospital on suspicion of the disease. Two “elected” representatives from Rasht, Gilan (N Iran) are reportedly sick from the virus as well.
International complications
Iraq closed its borders, but it may have been a bit late, already reporting their first suspected case. Turkey is contemplating doing the same but in the meantime is screening everybody entering the country from Iran. UAE has reported 2 cases. Lebanon and Canada reported Iranians traveling to those countries have brought the disease with them.
World Health Organization is worried about the speed of COVID-19 spreading in Iran, and the number of deaths.
Update @19:23 local time: Georgia halts all flights to/from Iran, joining Kuwait, Iraq, Turkey.
Update @17:30 local time: Turkmenistan, Turkey, and Afghanistan close their borders with Iran.
Let’s talk numbers!
Update @20:00: Official number of confirmed cases rose to 43 including: 26 in Qom, 10 in Tehran, 2 in Markazi, 2 in Gilan, 1 in Mazandaran. 8 Dead.
Update @17:52 local time: Another death, this time in Tonekabon, Mazandaran, N Iran. He/she was a traveler from Tehran.
Iranian government has reported only 6 deaths so far, but unofficial reports mention more than 27 deaths, including 9 in Tabriz, 2 in Tehran, 12 in Qom, 2 in Babol, and 1 in Saveh. Two children (one unconfirmed) were among the dead.
The chest x-ray of a 15-year-old minor who died of the disease yesterday.
Also, this video from 2 infected children in Iranshahr, SE Iran came out, but it hasn’t been confirmed yet.
WARNING: SENSITIVE CONTENT
Officially, the number of suspected patients is more than 750 people and 18 confirmed, as reported here.
Overall, the situation is dire and needs immediate attention or a catastrophe is in the making.