Updated @23:55 local time: Hossein Sheikholeslam, Javad Zarif’s advisor, previously Islamic Republic’s ambassador in Syria, and advisor to Ali Larijani for Foreign Affairs, is dead of COVID-19.
Iran’s Ministry of Health numbers are nowhere close to reality, but still shows a rise in infected cases and deaths, 591 new cases in the past 24 hours and 15 more dead. The new numbers show ALL 31 provinces are now involved with the disease.
Total: 3513
Dead: 107
All schools and universities across the country are closed till April 1 (after Persian New Year’s holidays). The Health Ministry asking people to stay inside their homes and avoid any unnecessary outing. The Persian New Year is approaching and that usually entails people traveling but considering the Coronavirus outbreak, all cities are asking travelers to cancel their trips. Some hubs even ban nonresidents.
220 suspected cases are admitted in Semnan. Head of Semnan’s University of Medical Sciences says, some people are taking Coronavirus as a joke but disinfecting sidewalks and public areas must be done consistently. He said, if people don’t take this disease seriously it would end up being a catastrophe for the province and Iran as a whole. He points out that second epicenters are emerging, for example Isfahan and Golestan show 100% increase in their cases over a short period of time.
Zanjan’s University of Medical Sciences also raise their concern saying the next few days would be worse and more cases may emerge. Dr Masoud Mardani, a member of National Flu Committee says, “We estimate 30-40% of Tehran’s population would be infected by the end of this month (March 20).”
More parliament representatives are tested positive, and that has caused some of them to criticize the government for managing the crisis. Although it’s all political and they’re worried for themselves and not their constituents, but nonetheless, it’s worth mentioning.
Abdulkarim Hosseinzadeh, Naqadeh representative, a town in W Azerbaijan, says: “Corpses piling up in Qom and people of Rasht struggling, are proofs of incompetency in informing and warning about Coronavirus. You didn’t quarantine cities, at least make self-quarantining compulsory in Qom and Rasht, so we don’t become the world record holder for deaths [due to COVID-19].”
While experts and physicians are extremely worried about the crisis, officials keep lying about the numbers and some still keep blaming the “enemy”. Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council has been one of these officials. Now claiming psychological warfare as something causing problems for Iranians. FYI, he was one of those saying Coronavirus was a hoax by US.
The Coronavirus outbreak in Iran is out of control. It supposedly started from Qom, suggesting Chinese clergy students to be the cause of it. Health Ministry has published a map showing how it reached other points in the country.
While the crisis is not even close to be over, Mahan Air, owned by IRGC, still have flights to Shanghai, China, even though the government claimed all flights have stopped. Islamic Republic regime has been the cause of COVID-19 spread across many countries, including: Armenia, Iraq, Canada, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, and so on, for its own political and financial gain.
Despite all the supplies sent to Iran by WHO, the shortage of masks, protection gears and disinfectant solutions is still ongoing. Drugstores are closed, people are struggling across the country and are in danger.
“Official” numbers are a big lie but we think it’s an indication of how the disease is spreading through the country.