Iran's coronavirus cover-up
Iran has the fourth-highest death toll from coronavirus in the world but many analysts suspect the numbers of cases and deaths are much higher than the country is willing to report.
Iran’s death toll from the coronavirus topped 100 for the second straight day Monday, reaching a new single-day high as infections continue to surge in the hard-hit nation.
Health officials said the 129 new deaths brought the total number of virus-related fatalities to 853. The jump comes just one day after Iran – regarded as the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the Middle East – saw 113 deaths in a 24-hour period.
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The number of new coronavirus cases in Iran continued to spike Monday, with 1,053 more infections bringing the total to 14,991, Health Ministry official Alireza Vahabzadeh tweeted, according to Reuters.
There are concerns the number of deaths and infections in Iran is much higher than reported by the government.
Firefighters disinfect a street against the new coronavirus in western Tehran on Friday. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
The outbreak is one of the largest outside China, and officials are urging citizens to stay home to slow its spread.
“Based on the figures, we have passed the peak of the outbreak, but I still suggest people stay at home, and in case of urgency, observe all health protocols,” said President Hassan Rouhani, according to state TV.
Rouhani on Sunday had ruled against a general quarantine and said the government was working to keep the nation’s borders open.
While firefighters have worked to disinfect streets in major cities and officials urged citizens to stay indoors, the number of infections continues to rise. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Many Iranians have dismissed fears about the virus and advice from public health officials to avoid social contact. Restaurants and cafes have remained open, though business has diminished.
A 78-year-old member of the Iranian clerical body that chooses the country's supreme leader was the latest official to die from the illness caused by the virus, news agencies reported Monday. Several senior Iranian officials have been infected in the worsening outbreak.
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Cabinet ministers, members of parliament, Revolutionary Guard members and Health Ministry officials have caught the virus, compounding fears about Iran's response to the global pandemic. Iran has been slow to adopt measures to slow the virus' spread, citing the crippling U.S. sanctions.
Officials have voiced concerns that if the rapid rise in cases continues, health facilities might not be able to accommodate all patients.
Rouhani has urged citizens to remain indoors during the outbreak. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
“If the trend continues, there will not be enough capacity,” Ali Reza Zali, who is leading the campaign against the outbreak, was quoted as saying earlier by the state-run IRNA news agency.
Iran is believed to have around 110,000 hospital beds, including 30,000 in the capital, Tehran. Authorities have pledged to set up mobile clinics as needed.
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The virus has infected around 170,000 people worldwide and caused more than 6,500 deaths.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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