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Coronavirus epidemic: Iran is building mass graves

2020-03-13T12:07:38.300Z


Trenches in the city of Qom confirm the worst fears of the scale of the coronavirus epidemic and subsequent government cover-up.


Trenches in the city of Qom confirm the worst fears of the scale of the coronavirus epidemic and subsequent government cover-up.

  • Iran is particularly affected by the spread of the Sars-CoV-2 * coronavirus
  • Iranian Official Coronavirus Victim
  • Prisoners are released

Update from 13.03.2020, 11.45 a.m .: How bad is the coronavirus epidemic really in Iran ? So far, 10,075 cases of infection with Sars-CoV-2 have become known , officially 429 people died from the virus. But now satellite images of mass graves in the city of Qom indicate that the situation in Iran is far more serious than the authorities are willing to admit so far.

The images, first published by The New York Times, show, like in late February, a new section and two long trenches with a total length of about in a cemetery on the northern outskirts of the city, which is about 120 kilometers south of Tehran 100 meters have been excavated.

They confirm the worst fears regarding the scale of the epidemic and subsequent government cover-up. For the city of Qom , where almost 1.2 million people live, the city has so far only announced the number of 846 infected. However, there is no official death toll for Qom, the spiritual center of the ruling Shiite clerics in Iran.

OMG .... # Iran, suffering a massive surge in #coronavirus cases, began digging a pair of trenches for # COVID19 victims days after the government finally admitted that the #CoronavirusOutbreak hit their country. Their lengths are that of a football field.https: //t.co/sLuWfwNhvh

- Dr. Dena Grayson (@DrDenaGrayson) March 12, 2020

However, the situation in Iran is also extremely critical for the political leadership. So far, at least eight Iranian officials have been victims of the corona virus. Among them were the former Vice Foreign Minister Hussein Sheikholeslam and the newly elected MP Fatemeh Rahbar. In addition, at least 14 other officials were tested positive. This group also includes the Vice Minister of Health Iradsch Haritrtschi and the Vice President and Women's Representative Massumeh Ebtekar. The foreign policy advisor to Supreme Leader Ajatollah Ali Khamenei has now been quarantined. Ali-Akbar Welajati was diagnosed with signs of Covid 19 disease. But he is doing well according to the circumstances, the doctors said on Friday.

Welajati is considered one of the most influential politicians in Iran. He is also the director of the Massih Daneshchwari Hospital, where mainly corona patients are now being treated. At the beginning of the month, another guide to the guide, Mohammed Mirmohammedi, had died of the virus.

Corona virus in Iran: number of deaths continues to rise rapidly

Update of March 11, 2020, 1:07 p.m . : The number of coronavirus deaths and infections has risen again in Iran . Over the past 24 hours, the death toll has increased from 291 to 354, Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said in Tehran on Wednesday. The number of officially recorded infections in the country increased to 9000 - 958 more than the previous day.

Most infections occurred again in the capital, Tehran, where almost 2,700 people were infected with the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus . At the same time, 2959 patients were healed from the hospitals, said the spokesman on state television.

Reliable data are still missing to determine the lethality of Covid-19 *. A mortality rate of 3.3 percent was calculated for Iran with more than 7,000 infected people. It is generally believed that many cases may have been overlooked, suggesting a lower death rate.

Update from March 11, 2020, 10:31 am: According to media reports, the corona crisis in Iran is to become a top priority. President Hassan Ruhani therefore wants to personally lead the crisis team. The proposal comes directly from the top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , after a crisis meeting of government officials and MPs, the Isna news agency reported on Wednesday. So far, the Ministry of Health has been responsible for the fight against the virus.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called for the immediate release of detained US citizens in the face of the corona virus outbreak in Iran . The Islamic Republic has been called upon to release all wrongfully arrested Americans for humanitarian reasons, a statement from its ministry said on Tuesday.

Iran released 70,000 prisoners on Monday to help prevent the spread of the Sars-CoV-2 agent in its detention centers. According to the UN expert on human rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman, the virus spread to Iranian prisons , where overcrowding, malnutrition and poor hygiene are a major problem.

Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 in Iran: President Hassan Ruhani heads the crisis team

Update from 03/10/2020, 1.30 p.m .: The second round of the parliamentary election in Iran is very likely to be postponed due to the coronavirus crisis in the country. The runoff was scheduled for April 17, and the new parliament was due to start work in late May. "However, if the crisis has not ended by then, the runoff election would have to be postponed (...) maybe even to August," government spokesman Ali Rabiei told the Tasnim news agency.

The corona virus has hit Iran particularly hard. Within a day, the death toll increased from 237 to 291, said ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur in Tehran. The number of officially recorded infections in the country increased to 8042 - 881 more than the previous day. Most infections were again in the capital, Tehran, where it has been proven that over 2100 people were infected with the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus . At the same time, 2,731 patients were cured from the hospitals, the spokesman said. Due to the risk of infection, schools and universities were closed and most political events were canceled.

Corona virus in Iran: number of deaths is increasing rapidly

Update from March 8th, 2020, 2:04 pm: The number of detected coronavirus infections in Iran has now reached 6566. The total number of deaths has risen sharply in the past few days to 194. This makes the Islamic country the most affected by the epidemic worldwide, after China and South Korea. In the meantime, the corona virus has spread to all 31 provinces in Iran. In order to curb further expansion, schools and universities across the country were closed and major cultural and sporting events were canceled.

The airline Iran Air announced on Sunday that all flights to Europe will be suspended until further notice. The reason for this is "restrictions" imposed on the airline by European authorities for "unknown reasons". In the past few days, for example, Sweden had not issued a landing permit for Iran Air flights due to the coronavirus epidemic in Iran.

Corona virus in Iran: drastic punishment for hoarding masks

Update of March 4th, 2020, 11:39 am: In Iran , the hoarding of respiratory masks and supplies has been punished with the death penalty . Around three dozen government officials have been infected there. There is chaos and fear, a doctor reports in the "New York Times". The country's attorney general said the report threatened to execute people hoarding masks and other supplies.

Update from 01.03.2020, 1.30 p.m .: The number of people who die from the corona virus in Iran is increasing inexorably. The number of infected people is also increasing rapidly. According to official bodies, 54 people died within 24 hours, and a total of 978 are currently infected with the corona virus.

The number of infected people is also increasing in Germany. In "Hart aber fair" (ARD) on the subject of corona virus, a virologist therefore makes serious allegations against the German government.

Coronavirus in Iran: spokesman denies report of more than 200 deaths

The capital Tehran is particularly badly affected. At the same time, 175 coronavirus patients were cured and discharged from the hospitals, according to the Jahanpur.

Contrary to the forecasts of the Ministry of Health, the situation in Iran has deteriorated drastically in the past few days. The army and even the Revolutionary Guards are said to help the government fight the virus. Many foreigners want to leave the country on the recommendation of their foreign ministries. Some foreign media representatives have also decided to temporarily close their offices in Tehran. Japanese media workers want to leave the country.

Update from February 29, 2020, 2:15 p.m .: How many people died in Iran from the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus? At least 210, according to a BBC report citing hospital circles. A spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Health denies this: So far, 43 people have died from the novel corona virus and 593 people have been infected, the spokesman accuses the foreign media of spreading false information.

"What we publish as final statistics is based on the latest final results from laboratory tests," the spokesman continued. He denounced "rumors" and "wrong and contradictory content" from media that "were not positive for the Iranian people". In no other country outside of China have so many people died of the novel corona virus as in Iran.

Update of February 28, 2020, 1:15 p.m .: According to official figures, the death toll from the coronavirus epidemic in Iran has risen to 34. The Tehran Ministry of Health said Friday that eight more deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours. In addition, 143 new contagion cases have been identified, said the ministry spokesman Kianusch Jahanpur. This means that 388 people are now infected with the causative agent of the lung disease Covid-19.

Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in Iran: number of deaths is increasing

Update of February 27, 2020, 6.55 p.m .: Iranian soccer player Elham Sheikhi has died of the corona virus . The 23-year-old was already suffering from Covid-19 lung disease last week and died on Wednesday in the city of Qom, according to a report by the Rokna news portal.

Update of February 27, 2020, 3:26 p.m .: Iran's Vice Minister Massoumeh Ebtekar has been reported to be infected with the corona virus. This is reported by journalist Natalie Amiri. She is a correspondent for the ARD in Iran and refers to the report in an Iranian daily newspaper. Masoumeh Ebtekar was the first female member in the Iranian cabinet since 1979 and is now Vice President for Women and Family Affairs.

So I won't send my team to the PK of the government spokesman either. #Coronavirus #Iran https://t.co/AIGCQ6NWu0

- Natalie Amiri (@NatalieAmiri) February 25, 2020

It is probably not the only member of the government that has contracted the coronavirus. It is now known that the Deputy Minister of Health, Iradsch Harirtschi, is also infected. Due to current developments, the Friday prayer in Tehran has been canceled. Iran is badly hit by the virus: the death toll is officially 26.

Coronavirus in Iran: 26 killed by epidemic

Update from February 27, 2020, 1:29 pm: The death toll from the coronavirus epidemic has risen to 26 in Iran, according to official figures. The Tehran Ministry of Health said Thursday that seven more deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours. In addition, 106 new contagion cases have been identified, said the ministry spokesman Kianusch Jahanpur. This means that 245 people are now infected with the causative agent of the lung disease Covid-19.

On Wednesday, the Iranian Ministry of Health reported 139 people infected and 19 dead. If the official numbers are correct, the mortality rate in Iran would be extremely high. A high number of unreported infections is feared.

Coronavirus in Iran: Airplane landed in Ankara with 17 suspected cases - Turkey closes border crossings

Update of February 27, 2020, 9:24 a.m .: The coronavirus epidemic in Iran plunges the country's tourism into a new crisis. "With a view to the Corona eruption, this year is a drought year for tourism," said Javad Musawi, director of tourism in the Iranian Organization for Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism, according to the Iranian business newspaper "Eghtesad-e Donja".

The outbreak with dozens of people infected with Covid-19 hits Iran's tourism industry almost a month before the Persian New Year "Norus", the main travel season within Iran. The number of Covid 19 deaths rose to 19 . According to the government in Tehran, the virus has been confirmed in a total of 135 people from different parts of the country.

Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in Iran: 90 percent of the hotels are empty

According to the business newspaper, 90 percent of hotels in Mashhad, the second largest city in Iran, remained empty due to concerns about the coronavirus . 75 percent of the trips were canceled. Meanwhile, the neighboring countries of Iraq, Turkey and Afghanistan temporarily closed the borders. Air traffic to Iran has been restricted.

Most recently, Iran's tourism had already slumped considerably with the killing of a Ukrainian passenger plane in early January, with 176 deaths. Up to 70 percent of trips abroad to Iran were canceled at short notice, the Iranian Tourism Association reported two weeks later. Due to the tense situation, the German travel operator Studiosus canceled all trips to Iran by the end of April.

Coronavirus in Iran: Airplane landed in Ankara with 17 suspected cases - Turkey closes border crossings

Update from 02/26/2020, 10:33 a.m .: With the increasing number of Sars-CoV-2 infections in Iran , the corona virus threatens to spread more and more in the Gulf region. Iran's neighboring countries Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported several new cases of patients who had previously traveled to Iran. Some countries in the Arab region tried to prevent spreading through reduced travel connections with Iran.

Meanwhile, a plane from Tehran landed in Ankara on Tuesday. According to the German edition of the Turkish daily Hürriyet, there is concern that 17 people on board are infected with the corona virus. All 132 passengers and the crew were quarantined after landing.

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced on Tuesday that all border crossings to Iran have been closed since February 23. Flights to four major Iranian cities have been canceled. There are only two planes a day between Turkey and Tehran, but only for Iranians who want to return home. According to Koca, there is still no officially confirmed case of corona infection in Turkey.

Coronavirus in Iran: Vice Minister tries to talk the crisis down - now he is apparently infected himself

First report from February 25th, 2020:

Tehran - The coronavirus * is spreading more and more worldwide. The country of origin China and other East Asian countries are particularly affected. Cases have been on the rise in Iran for a few days now.

Coronavirus in Iran: Vice Minister of Health Harirtschi infected with Sars-CoV-2

According to official information from the Iranian Ministry of Health on Tuesday, the number of fatalities reported in Iran has now risen from 12 to 15. In addition, 95 people - 34 more than the previous day - from different parts of the country had been tested in the meantime.

The Iranian deputy minister of health and the country's direct coronavirus officer have also contracted the virus, as several media representatives report independently of one another. This was also confirmed by the state news agency Irna. As a result, Iradsch Harirtschi himself tested positive for Sars-CoV-2 . "I've been a Corona since last night," said Harirtschi in a video message on state television on Tuesday. Natalie Amiri, head of the ARD office in Tehran , and the Arab news channel Al Jazeera spread the video message of the Iranian Vice Minister of Health on Twitter.

The #Iran deputy health minister has been infected with the #Coronavirius, he says here in a video message. He's been writing to journalists and officials about the #virus in the past few days. Officially, 16 have died in Iran in the meantime. https://t.co/xPLiWv5vYV

- Natalie Amiri (@NatalieAmiri) February 25, 2020

Corona virus: Infected health minister Harirtschi tried to downplay the corona crisis

The deputy minister had tried in recent days to downplay the country's corona crisis . At least that's what ultra-conservative MP Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani said. He said Monday the Isna news agency said the leadership in Tehran said "not the truth" about the epidemic.

Harirtschi had denied the allegations by the MP, who had accused the government of obscuring the facts about the spread of the corona virus . According to the Ilna news agency, Amirabadi Farahani even named the number of "50 deaths" from the virus in the central Iranian city of Kom alone. "I categorically contradict this information," Harirtschi said at the time.

+

Iran's Deputy Minister of Health, Iradsch Harirtschi (left), was infected with the corona virus.

© Iranian Presidency / AFP

Farahani is not alone in his concerns. Many people fear that there are far more dead and infected people than is known to date. Disinfectants are sold out in almost all drugstores, pharmacies and supermarkets in Tehran.

Coronavirus in Iran: Did Minister of Health already show signs of illness at press conference?

Another video that circulates on Twitter shows Harirtschi at a press conference on Monday. Raf Sanchez, Middle East correspondent for the British Telegraph, also shared the video. He wrote: “Iraj Harirtschi, Iran's deputy health minister, said yesterday on TV that the Iranian government has the coronavirus spread under control. Today it was announced that he himself was ill. ”The video shows how Harirtschi dabs sweat from his face with a cloth. One of the main symptoms of the coronavirus * is fever.

Iraj Harirchi, Iran's deputy health minister, went on TV yesterday (left) to insist the Iranian government was getting the #coronavirus outbreak under control.

Today it was announced Harirchi himself has the virus. pic.twitter.com/dO0RgLyydk

- Raf Sanchez (@rafsanchez) February 25, 2020

dpa / md / afp

More and more countries in Europe are affected by the coronavirus epidemic. It is currently the worst in Italy. The whole country has been declared a restricted zone there. In Tenerife (Canary Islands), over 1000 guests of a hotel had to be quarantined due to an infected vacationer. The corona virus continues to spread. NRW reports the first cases. Germany is gearing up for the epidemic.

The State of Hesse is well prepared for possible coronavirus cases, said Social Minister Kai Klose.

Maybrit Illner deals with the corona virus in her TV talk: Virologist Christian Drosten predicts: "It will be bad"

The first German to become infected with the coronavirus expressed himself for the first time. The time in quarantine was very boring.

The corona virus is more deadly than influenza *, explains the Robert Koch Institute. But it is difficult to calculate this.

* fr.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network

Rubric list picture: © picture alliance / dpa

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2020-03-13

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