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| Coronavirus: Iran denies cover-up after reports of 50 deaths | Coronavirus: Iran denies cover-up after reports of 50 deaths |
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| Tehran rejects claim death toll is more than four times higher than official figures suggest | Tehran rejects claim death toll is more than four times higher than official figures suggest |
| The Iranian government has denied trying to cover up the full extent of the coronavirus outbreak after reports suggested the death toll from the disease was more than four times higher than official figures claim. | The Iranian government has denied trying to cover up the full extent of the coronavirus outbreak after reports suggested the death toll from the disease was more than four times higher than official figures claim. |
| On Monday, a lawmaker from Qom – a Shia holy city 75 miles (120 km) south of the capital, Tehran, accused Iran’s health minister of lying about the scale of the outbreak. | On Monday, a lawmaker from Qom – a Shia holy city 75 miles (120 km) south of the capital, Tehran, accused Iran’s health minister of lying about the scale of the outbreak. |
| According to the semi-official Ilna news agency, which is close to reformists, the lawmaker, Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani, said there had been 50 deaths from the coronavirus in Qom alone. | According to the semi-official Ilna news agency, which is close to reformists, the lawmaker, Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani, said there had been 50 deaths from the coronavirus in Qom alone. |
| “The rest of the media have not published this figure, but we prefer not to censor what concerns the coronavirus because people’s lives are in danger,” the Ilna editor Fatemeh Madiani told Agence France-Presse. | “The rest of the media have not published this figure, but we prefer not to censor what concerns the coronavirus because people’s lives are in danger,” the Ilna editor Fatemeh Madiani told Agence France-Presse. |
| But the country’s deputy health minister rejected the report. In a news conference broadcast live on state television, Iraj Harirchi said 12 people had died from the coronavirus and 66 had been infected. | But the country’s deputy health minister rejected the report. In a news conference broadcast live on state television, Iraj Harirchi said 12 people had died from the coronavirus and 66 had been infected. |
| “I categorically deny this information,” he said, adding: “This is not the time for political confrontations. The coronavirus is a national problem.” | “I categorically deny this information,” he said, adding: “This is not the time for political confrontations. The coronavirus is a national problem.” |
| Iran’s government pledged to be transparent about the outbreak. “We will announce any figures [we have] on the number of deaths throughout the country. We pledge to be transparent about the reporting of figures,” its spokesman Ali Rabiei said. | Iran’s government pledged to be transparent about the outbreak. “We will announce any figures [we have] on the number of deaths throughout the country. We pledge to be transparent about the reporting of figures,” its spokesman Ali Rabiei said. |
| Iran has been scrambling to contain the Covid-19 outbreak since it announced the first two deaths in Qom on Wednesday last week. Since then, it has said a total of 12 people have died from the virus among 61 infections. | Iran has been scrambling to contain the Covid-19 outbreak since it announced the first two deaths in Qom on Wednesday last week. Since then, it has said a total of 12 people have died from the virus among 61 infections. |
| Authorities have closed schools across much of the country for a second day, as neighbouring countries reported infections from travellers from Iran, prompting several to shut their borders to Iranian citizens. | Authorities have closed schools across much of the country for a second day, as neighbouring countries reported infections from travellers from Iran, prompting several to shut their borders to Iranian citizens. |
| The number of deaths compared with the number of confirmed infections from the virus is higher in Iran than in any other country, including China and South Korea, where the outbreak is far more widespread. Deaths rose to five in Italy on Monday in another worrying development. | |
| Iranian health officials have not said whether health workers in Qom who first came in contact with infected people had taken precautionary measures in treating those who died of the virus. Iran also has not said how many people are in quarantine across the country overall. | Iranian health officials have not said whether health workers in Qom who first came in contact with infected people had taken precautionary measures in treating those who died of the virus. Iran also has not said how many people are in quarantine across the country overall. |
| On Sunday, experts warned that the disease was outpacing attempts to contain it. | On Sunday, experts warned that the disease was outpacing attempts to contain it. |
| “The tipping point after which our ability to prevent a global pandemic ends seems a lot closer after the past 24 hours,” said Paul Hunter, a professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia and an authority on the new coronavirus. | “The tipping point after which our ability to prevent a global pandemic ends seems a lot closer after the past 24 hours,” said Paul Hunter, a professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia and an authority on the new coronavirus. |
| Hunter said the situation in Iran would have major implications for the Middle East. | Hunter said the situation in Iran would have major implications for the Middle East. |
| “It is unlikely that Iran will have the resources and facilities to adequately identify cases and adequately manage them if case numbers are large,” he said. | “It is unlikely that Iran will have the resources and facilities to adequately identify cases and adequately manage them if case numbers are large,” he said. |
| “A further problem with the Iranian cases is wider armed conflicts in the region. During armed conflicts borders between countries become porous and urban and healthcare facilities are often targeted and destroyed. As we have seen with Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and poliomyelitis in Syria, war facilitates the spread of infectious disease and hampers public health responses.” | “A further problem with the Iranian cases is wider armed conflicts in the region. During armed conflicts borders between countries become porous and urban and healthcare facilities are often targeted and destroyed. As we have seen with Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and poliomyelitis in Syria, war facilitates the spread of infectious disease and hampers public health responses.” |
| Italian authorities are also rushing to contain the continent’s first major outbreak of the disease after five deaths in the country. The government has introduced stringent internal travel restrictions, closing off the worst-hit areas in the northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto. | |
| The number of confirmed cases in Italy now stands at 209. An 84-year-old woman died overnight in Bergamo, in the Lombardy region, and an 88-year-old from Caselle Landi, also in Lombardy, died on Monday. | |
| About 50,000 people in 11 north Italian towns have been under lockdown since Friday night, with police patrolling the streets and fines being imposed on anyone caught entering or leaving outbreak areas. | About 50,000 people in 11 north Italian towns have been under lockdown since Friday night, with police patrolling the streets and fines being imposed on anyone caught entering or leaving outbreak areas. |
| France’s junior transport minister, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, said on Monday that there was no need to close down transport borders between France and Italy. “Closing down the borders would make no sense, as the circulation of the virus is not just limited to administrative borders,” he told BFM Business. | France’s junior transport minister, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, said on Monday that there was no need to close down transport borders between France and Italy. “Closing down the borders would make no sense, as the circulation of the virus is not just limited to administrative borders,” he told BFM Business. |
| Austria suspended train services over the Alps to Italy for about four hours late on Sunday before restarting them after two travellers tested negative for coronavirus. A train carrying about 300 passengers from Venice in Italy to Munich in Germany was halted on the Italian side of the Brenner Pass before being allowed to continue its journey after the two tested negative, authorities said. | Austria suspended train services over the Alps to Italy for about four hours late on Sunday before restarting them after two travellers tested negative for coronavirus. A train carrying about 300 passengers from Venice in Italy to Munich in Germany was halted on the Italian side of the Brenner Pass before being allowed to continue its journey after the two tested negative, authorities said. |