Updates for Feb 25, Feb 24, Feb 23 and up to Feb 22 are posted on their individual pages.
Update @16:10 local time: Bahrain says it has isolated 26 cases all coming from Iran.
Update @15:52 local time: Official Health Minister announcement puts Total number of infected people at 142, an increase of 44 people. According to this report, 4 more people have died compared to yesterday. It’s spread through 18 provinces, involving 7 provinces more than yesterday.
Qom: 65 Tehran: 26 Gilan: 17 Markazi: 5 Mazandaran: 4 Alborz: 3 Khuzestan: 3 Fars: 3 Hormozgan: 2 Isfahan: 2 Sistan & Baluchestan: 2 Lorestan: 1 Kermanshah: 1 Hamedan: 1 Ardebil: 1 Semnan: 1 Khorasan Razavi: 1 Kohgiloye and Boyerahmad: 1
Total infected: 142
Dead: 19
Healed: 3
Feb 26 began with sad news of passing of a 25-year-old, Narjes Khanalizadeh from Lahijan, Gilan, N Iran. She was a nurse at Milad hospital. Security forces refuse to deliver her body to the family and have asked them to stay silent about it. The family says the government wants to put another reason as the cause of death and not Coronavirus.
Also it was confirmed that 5 new suspected cases were transferred from Arak’s Clergy School to the hospital. 3 new cases confirmed in Ahvaz, Khuzestan, SW Iran. The first official case with positive test was announced in Yazd, center of the country. Those cases make the total number of provinces involved with the disease 13, 6 more than Feb 24.
The last death due to Coronavirus in Rasht, Gilan, N Iran was Mohammadreza Karimi, about 60 years old and a school principle. He head no history of prior illnesses. He was buried without his family knowing.
In Mashhad, the second biggest city in the country, Shariati Hospital has been assigned for Coronavirus patients.
Both death toll and confirmed cases are on the rise. The government lies about the real number of cases and death toll. An epidemiology study performed by Canadian researchers put the estimated number of cases at 18300. Although it hasn’t been peer reviewed or published in a respected journal, but it gives you an idea of the devastating situation in Iran. The study was mainly focused on the number of cases caused by Iranians whom traveled to other countries and spread the virus. Speaking of which, Kuwait just announced 2 more cases, making their total patients 11. An Iranian clergy was returned from Najaf, Iraq to Iran as he was suspected of having Coronavirus.
The government refuses to implement quarantine and keep insisting the whole COVID-19 is a plot by “enemies” to undermine the IR regime. For instance, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council said this:
The President, Hassan Rouhani, has said everything should go back to normal by Saturday Feb 29 (the beginning of the working week in Iran), including normal school days. It’s like he knows when the disease is going to stop spreading, giving it a deadline! In the meantime, Khuzestan province announced all schools and universities will be closed next week. Also, the parliament is considering closing all schools and universities till April, after Persian New Year’s holidays.
People are frightened, the prices of everything is rising, people can’t afford to protect themselves, masks and alcohol/disinfectants are hard to find and clergies keep talking nonsense. Clergies give out stupid advice such as praying specific verses of Quran or going to see holy shrines in Qom and Mashhad where thousands of people gather for prayers. Not only it doesn’t help but it is making the situation worse.
The government has ordered killing of any dog or cat which is not under care of anybody. They are using Coronavirus as an excuse to get rid of these animals. It’s worth noting that in Islam dogs are considered impure.
On another note, the human rights organizations should be alarmed about the disease getting into the prison with almost zero healthcare! Political prisoners in Greater Tehran Prison, Evin and Qarchak report of being in danger while nobody cares for them. Some say 8 people are being held in one single cell so their section becomes quarantine for suspected cases.
Mahmoud Razavi, advisor to Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, posted on social media that himself and Ghalibaf both have H1N1 flu and not Coronavirus. Ali Rabiei, Government’s Spokesman, said: “I don’t have the symptoms but because I was in close contact with Dr. Harirchi, he asked me to take the test just to be sure. The results will be back in 1-2 days.”