Iran Reports Over 100 Virus Deaths for Fourth Day

Iran on Wednesday reported more than 100 deaths from the novel coronavirus for a fourth straight day, saying that gatherings in high-risk provinces have led to a spike in infections.

"Holding gatherings such as weddings and funerals is one of the main causes of increased coronavirus infections in red provinces," the highest level on Iran's color-coded risk scale, said deputy health minister Iraj Harirchi.

"In one province, 120 people were infected at a single wedding," the ISNA news agency quoted him as saying. Health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said 120 new deaths in the past 24 hours took Iran's overall toll to 9,158.

This is Iran's highest single-day death toll since April 11.

Lari added that another 2,612 tested positive for COVID-19, bringing total confirmed cases to 195,051.

Iran reported its first coronavirus cases on February 19, and it has since struggled to contain the outbreak.

Official figures have shown a rising trajectory in new confirmed cases since early May, when Iran hit a near two-month low in daily recorded infections.

Photo: IRNA

Iran Reports New Surge in Coronavirus Cases

Iran on Saturday reported a surge in new coronavirus cases as the number of deaths jumped to 43, but it dismissed as "rumors" a report the real toll was much higher.

Since it announced its first deaths from COVID-19, Iran has scrambled to bring the outbreak under control, shutting schools, suspending cultural and sporting events and halting meetings of the cabinet and parliament.

The health ministry on Saturday reported nine new deaths and a 53 percent jump in infections over the previous 24 hours, taking the overall totals to 43 deaths among 593 cases.

That was the highest number of new cases for a single day since February 19, when Iran announced its first two deaths in Qom, a centre for Islamic studies and pilgrimages, including from abroad.

Citing unnamed sources in Iran's health system, the BBC's Persian-language service said on Friday that at least 210 people had died in the COVID-19 outbreak.

Most of the dead were in Qom or Tehran, the London-based broadcaster said.

Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour accused foreign media of spreading misinformation about the outbreak.

"Given the rumours and false and contradictory content that may be published from satellite networks or media which are not well-intentioned towards Iranian people, I must say that what we publish as definitive statistics is based on the latest definitive findings of laboratory tests," he said.

Fear of the virus is palpable on the streets of Tehran, which have been less crowded than usual as people apparently stayed at home.

'Rock Bottom'

Traffic was flowing more freely than normal in the capital on Saturday morning, when it usually chokes the streets at the start of the working week.

The office of Tehran's governor announced a reduction in working hours in a bid to reduce the chances of the virus spreading, state television reported.

Shops and pharmacies have been struggling to meet demand as people stock up on bleach, disinfectant wipes, face masks and other sanitary products, as well as non-perishable food.

"Business... has hit rock bottom because of the coronavirus," said Hadian, owner of one of Tehran's now empty restaurants.

"If the government had informed us earlier we would have tried to buy less. Now we have to throw away a lot of food every day and lose money," he told AFP.

"With this loss we have to pay the workers and rent too, and this is very difficult for us."

Large posters have gone up on advertising billboards in the capital urging people to follow hygiene guidelines such as washing hands and not touching handrails and other objects in public places.

Clinic Torched

In Bandar Abbas, on Iran's Gulf coast, residents reportedly set alight a clinic rumoured to be treating people infected with coronavirus on Friday night.

"The unsubstantiated rumour that several coronavirus patients were being held at the clinic... provoked some residents to set fire to it," Fars news agency said, adding the facility denied it had any such patients.

Police and firefighters arrived and calm was restored before the blaze was extinguished, Fars reported.

Iran's coronavirus death toll is the highest for any country other than China, where COVID-19 first emerged.

One of Iran's seven vice presidents, Massoumeh Ebtekar, and Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi are among several senior officials who have been infected.

Jahanpour said on Saturday that 205 cases had been detected in the previous 24 hours, increasing the total of confirmed infections to 593.

Among the latest infections were a new outbreak of 22 cases in Golestan, a northeastern province on the Caspian Sea coast.

Many of the country's neighbours have reported coronavirus infections in people linked to Iran, and most have imposed restrictions on travel to and from the Islamic republic.

On Wednesday, Iranian authorities announced domestic travel restrictions for people with confirmed or suspected infections.

The United States and Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Without Borders have accused Iran of concealing information about the outbreak, which has claimed an unusually high proportion of the lives of those infected in the Islamic republic.

Photo: IRNA

Iran Virus Deaths Rise to 15, Deputy Minister Among Infected

By Amir Havasi

Iran said Tuesday its coronavirus outbreak, the deadliest outside China, had claimed 15 lives and infected nearly 100 others—including the country's deputy health minister.

The Islamic republic's neighbours have imposed travel restrictions and strict quarantine measures after reporting their first cases in recent days, mostly in people with links to Iran.

The United Arab Emirates was the latest to clamp down on Tuesday, halting all passenger and cargo flights to and from Iran, a similar move to other nearby countries including Armenia, Kuwait, Iraq and Turkey.

Iran has been scrambling to contain COVID-19 since Wednesday last week when it announced the first two deaths in Qom, a centre for Islamic studies and pilgrims that attracts scholars from abroad.

The country's deputy health minister put on a brave face as he admitted he too was infected.

Iraj Harirchi had coughed occasionally and wiped sweat from his brow repeatedly during a news conference in Tehran on Monday with government spokesman Ali Rabiei.

At the time he denied a lawmaker's claim that 50 people had died from the virus in the Shiite shrine city of Qom, saying he would resign if the number proved to be true.

"I too have been infected with coronavirus," Harirchi said on Tuesday in a video apparently shot by himself.

"I wanted to tell you that... we will definitely be victorious against this virus in the next few weeks," the official declared.

But he warned Iranians to be careful as the "virus does not discriminate" and could infect anyone.

Disinfection Teams

Outspoken reformist MP Mahmoud Sadeghi also confirmed in a tweet he had tested positive for the virus, adding that he did not "have much hope of staying alive".

The health ministry confirmed three new deaths and 34 new infections, bringing the overall tally to 15 deaths and 95 cases.

Two of the deaths were of elderly women in Markazi province, and the other was a patient in Alborz province, state news agency IRNA said.

According to the health ministry, most of the deaths and infections outside Qom are among people who have recently visited the holy city.

Its spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said 16 of the new cases were confirmed in Qom, while nine were in Tehran, and two each in Alborz, Gilan and Mazandaran.

The virus appeared to be spreading to new parts of Iran, as one new case was also reported in each of the provinces of Fars and Khorasan Razavi, as well as Qeshm island.

Despite being Iran's epicentre of the outbreak, Qom has yet to be quarantined.

However, religious events have been put on hold at its main hotspot, the Masumeh shrine revered by Shiite Muslims, while teams were deployed to disinfect it.

Photos published by local news agencies showed masked men in blue uniforms spraying disinfectant on walls and objects inside the shrine, while unprotected worshippers prayed and kissed the ornate structure enclosing a tomb.

In other provinces including Tehran, teams have been disinfecting underground train carriages and municipal buses at night, according to reports.

Run on Masks, Gloves

The sight of Iranians wearing masks and gloves is now common in much of the country.

Sales of masks, disinfectant gels and disposable gloves have soared, with officials vowing to prevent hoarding and shortages by boosting production.

President Hassan Rouhani expressed confidence the authorities were on the right track.

"The reports I have received from the health minister are promising. We are moving towards controlling the virus," he said.

The United States, however, expressed concern that Iran may have "suppressed vital details" about the outbreak.

"All nations including Iran should tell the truth about the coronavirus and cooperate with international aid organisations," said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Iran, which has shut schools, universities and cultural centres until the end of the week, has yet to find the source of the country's outbreak.

But the health minister, Saeed Namaki, has said that one person who died of coronavirus in Qom was a businessman who had made several trips to China.

A World Health Organization spokesman told AFP that a mission to Iran was "still being planned" but "it is not happening today.”

Photo: IRNA