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Coronavirus: How is Iran responding to the outbreak? Coronavirus: Iran is facing a major challenge controlling the outbreak
(10 days later)
Iran has announced that its security forces are to clear city streets in a bid to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. Iran's leadership has rejected a US offer of aid as it battles to contain one of the world's biggest outbreaks of coronavirus.
The country has one of the highest number of cases outside China, and there's been concern about how the government is responding. The country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, said Iran could not trust the US, alluding without evidence to conspiracy theories that America may have been behind the virus.
The country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said earlier this month that the virus wouldn't impact the country for long and would disappear. The statement came as Iranians were on the move for the biggest holiday of the year, the Persian New Year or Nowruz, despite official pleas not to travel.
With the help of our colleagues in BBC Persian, we've been trying to piece together what measures Iran has taken so far. So what have the authorities being doing to try to stop the spread of the virus?
What action has been taken? What about the holiday period?
There are fears that the true scale of the outbreak in Iran is worse than is being disclosed. The Nowruz festival usually attracts thousands of people to the Caspian Sea, and other parts of the country for family holidays.
In February, the authorities started limiting travel between major cities by setting up checkpoints, and halting Friday prayers in urban centres. People "should cancel all travel and stay at home so that we may see the situation improving in the coming days," a health ministry spokesman said.
They've already closed schools and universities until early April, and officials have suspended large cultural and sports events and reduced working hours. But large numbers have ignored the warnings and traffic on the roads was particularly heavy as the New Year holiday approached.
But Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said there were no plans to quarantine entire cities and towns. Photos have been shared on social media showing traffic jams on the main road between the capital, Tehran, and the religious centre of Qom.
In Qom, the holy city at the centre of the outbreak, religious shrines remain open including the most revered, the Hazrat Masumeh shrine, visited by millions of Shia Muslim pilgrims every year. Many of those online criticised their fellow countrymen for ignoring instructions during the Covid-19 outbreak.
However, the authorities in Qom have now closed the city to further pilgrims and ordered hotels not to accept more guests. What action was taken earlier?
Some officials, including the vice-speaker of Iran's parliament and former Health Minister Massoud Pezeshkian, have criticised the government for its slow response. Iran's President Rouhani ordered shopping centres and bazaars across the country to shut for the 15-day holiday. The only exceptions were for pharmacies and grocery stores.
"We should have quarantined Qom from day one... this disease is not a joke, which is the way we are dealing with it." The authorities have now closed key religious sites, among them the highly-revered shrines of Hazrat Masoumeh and Imam Reza in the cities of Qom and Mashhad.
"Shutting the shrines would be a huge step for the clerics and one that they would not be likely to take unless they come under international pressure," says Rana Rahimpour, of BBC Persian. The government came under severe criticism when it had earlier chosen not to close the shrine in Qom, the holy city at the centre of the outbreak, visited by millions of Shia Muslim pilgrims every year.
Iran has also released tens of thousands prisoners in what it says is a bid to contain the spread of the virus in Iranian jails. "We should have quarantined Qom from day one... this disease is not a joke, which is the way we are dealing with it," vice-speaker of Iran's parliament and former Health Minister Massoud Pezeshkian said.
What about New Year celebrations? Despite its shrine being closed, Mashhad is anticipating an influx of visitors during the holiday period. The city's mayor has warned of a looming "human catastrophe" and criticised the government's decision not to lockdown the city.
Iranian officials are now concerned about the spread of the virus during the upcoming national Nowruz holiday - Iran's new year - later in March. Although the government has closed schools, universities and shrines, and banned cultural and religious gatherings, it has not imposed complete lockdowns so far.
It lasts at least 10 days, and thousands of Iranians visit the Caspian Sea and other parts of the country for family holidays. President Rouhani has also announced economic measures designed to ease the pressure on families and businesses. These include postponing health insurance, tax and utility bill payments for the next three months.
As the celebrations approach, local officials in many provinces have closed entry routes in order to stop visitors. The government has said that it will give cash payments to the three million poorest Iranians while another four million households will receive low-interest loans, partly subsidised by the government.
Plans for a Nowruz speech by the country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have been dropped on the advice of health officials. Should the government have done more?
Does Iran have enough medical equipment? Critics say the Iranian government should have taken tougher measures earlier on to tackle the spread of the coronavirus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has sent Iran diagnostic kits and protective equipment for healthcare workers, including 7.5 tonnes of medical supplies. However, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that Iran's healthcare has been compromised due to the sanctions imposed by the US.
A WHO team that has just completed a visit to Iran says although progress has been made in expanding testing and in other important areas, more work needs to be done. Mr Zarif says they have "drained Iran's economic resources."
Many Iranians are worried about a lack of medical equipment.
The US has denied that its sanctions are restricting Iran's ability to import medical supplies, pointing to an exemption for humanitarian goods.The US has denied that its sanctions are restricting Iran's ability to import medical supplies, pointing to an exemption for humanitarian goods.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the US would offer humanitarian assistance to Iran to help cope with the virus.
But Iran says companies find it difficult to process payments with banks unwilling to risk breaking US rules and risk sanctions themselves.But Iran says companies find it difficult to process payments with banks unwilling to risk breaking US rules and risk sanctions themselves.
The government said it's now approaching the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for emergency assistance amounting to $5bn.The government said it's now approaching the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for emergency assistance amounting to $5bn.
The Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said Iran wanted access to the funds immediately. Does Iran have enough medical equipment?
What about face masks? The World Health Organization (WHO) has sent Iran diagnostic kits and protective equipment for healthcare workers, including 7.5 tonnes of medical supplies.
A WHO team which recently completed a visit to Iran says although progress has been made in expanding testing and in other important areas, more work needs to be done.
Many countries, including China, Turkey, Germany, France, UK, Japan, Qatar, the UAE, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Russia have sent aid packages.
As in other countries with outbreaks, Iranians have been queuing up at pharmacies to purchase medical masks as well as disinfectant gels and sprays.As in other countries with outbreaks, Iranians have been queuing up at pharmacies to purchase medical masks as well as disinfectant gels and sprays.
Prices of these products, where they're available at all, have gone up by as much as 10 times. Prices of these products, where they're available at all, have gone up by as much as ten times.
Some on social media have claimed the reason behind the lack of availability of masks is due to the fact that millions were donated to China a few weeks ago. Some on social media have claimed the reason behind the lack of availability of masks is due to the fact that millions were donated to China earlier.
According to the Irna news agency, Iran donated three million face masks to China "as sign of long-term and traditional friendship between two countries". There were also reports that Chinese companies have bought huge quantities of masks from Iran creating a shortage in the domestic market.
But there were also reports that Chinese companies have bought huge quantities of masks from Iran creating a shortage in the domestic market. The Iranian government has said it has now banned the export of face masks for three months and ordered factories to ramp up production.
The Iranian government has said it has banned the export of face masks for three months and ordered factories to ramp up production.
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