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 VP Says Government Against Using Force Over Hijab

Iran's vice president for women's affairs insisted Wednesday the government opposed using "force" to ensure women wear the hijab, after a spate of protests stirred debate over the mandatory headscarf.

Massoumeh Ebtekar told a press conference in Tehran that every country has a dress code: "There is no city in the world where you can walk naked in the streets and you won't be approached by a particular regulatory body."

She said Iran's hijab laws—which require women to wear a headscarf and long coat, as well as banning shorts for men—were a "social regulation."

"Our position is that it's a regulation but the use of force—we don't go along with that type of enforcement," she said.

"That is contrary to the basic principles and philosophy that the government of (President Hassan) Rouhani follows." Her comments follow a string of protests, mostly in Tehran, in which more than a dozen woman have stood in main thoroughfares without their headscarves.

The women risk prison sentences of up to two months for not wearing the headscarf, but up to 10 years if they are found to be encouraging others. Tehran police chief Hossein Rahimi took a rather tougher line than Ebtekar earlier this week, telling the conservative Fars news agency that Islamic laws were "obligatory for all citizens."

"These people will be firmly dealt with by the police," he said. He was responding to widespread criticism on social media after a video showed an officer shoving one of the women protesters off a plinth. "We have reminded our officers to comply with legal requirements when dealing with all people," said Rahimi.

In practice clothing rules have been steadily eroding for years, with many women wearing loose and colorful headscarves and letting them drop entirely, particularly in wealthier areas.

Since Rouhani came to power in 2013, the presence of the morality police who enforced clothing rules has been greatly reduced. Ebtekar said the government needs "this dialogue" with the younger generation, which no longer shares the same values as those who grew up during the 1979 revolution.

But she defended Iran's record on female empowerment, saying the Islamic republic had brought "true advancement" for women in higher education, politics and sports.

Iranian society is generally freer for women than many conservative Islamic countries, but activists complain they are still under-represented in government, particularly after Rouhani again failed to appoint a single female minister last summer.

Women also have less weight than men in Iran's Islamic legal system, including less right to inheritance and a ban on leaving the country without male permission.

Photo Credit: Wikicommons