(March 5, 2020 / JNS) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that coronavirus has spread to almost all of Iran’s provinces, but that the outbreak would cause a “minimum” number of deaths.
“This disease is a widespread disease,” he said during a Cabinet meeting, Reuters reported. “It has reached almost all our provinces and in one sense it’s a global disease.”
Rouhani seemed to criticize the U.S. offer last week to help Iran stem the spread of the virus, saying: “They’ve appeared with a mask of sympathy that ‘we also want to help the people of Iran.’ If you are really telling the truth, then lift sanctions from medicine.”
The Iranian Health Ministry said on Tuesday that 92 Iranians had died and 2,922 had contracted coronavirus, though some experts believe that the true numbers are higher, with The New York Times citing experts as estimating that around 4,000 are infected.
So far the Iranian vice president, deputy health minister and 23 members of parliament are among current or former senior officials to have contracted the virus, the Times reported on Tuesday.
On Monday, Iranian Expediency Council member Mohammad Mirmohammadi became the first top official in the Islamic Republic to die from the virus.
The government canceled Friday prayers across the country due to the outbreak, state TV reported on Wednesday.
Some Gulf states are also reporting new coronavirus cases, Reuters reported. Oman reported three new cases that includes two Iranians, raising the total to 15, and the Dubai Health Authority reported another infection, raising the total in the United Arab Emirates to 28.
Bahrain reported three new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing the total to 52.
Support Jewish Journalism
with 2020 Vision
JNS is more than just another news website and syndication service. It is an organization devoted to nonstop reporting, and telling the truth about Israel and Jewish issues unburdened by the biases and institutional blinders that distort so much of what we read, hear and see about these topics elsewhere in the secular and even Jewish press.
At JNS, you get the facts about Israel and Jewish issues without the bias that so often tilts the argument against the Jewish state. JNS articles and columns are republished every week by digital outlets and print newspapers across the globe. But in the age of round-the-clock news coverage, advertising and syndication revenues are not enough to support our continued growth. We need your financial help to keep JNS on target as we continue our fair and accurate reporting.
Please help us take JNS to the next level with a tax-deductible sponsorship, either on a recurring monthly basis. Jewish News Syndicate is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization.