Although official data from the state also show that plague mortality is not diminishing, President Rouhani ordered a return to limited economic activity • Number of infected persons rose to 70,029

• Burial of Corona in Iran // Photo: Reuters

Iran's corona crisis continues to take hold as the country's economy returns to limited activity on Saturday, after a nearly two-week closure.

President Rouhani today announced a return to "low-risk economic activity" involving the opening of some of the country's markets, restaurants and offices. Closure relief began today across the state but in the capital Tehran will only begin next weekend. Rouhani cautioned against careless behavior, saying: "Relief does not mean that the crisis is behind us and that it is possible to return to normal behavior. The public must respect and comply with all existing health procedures."

The decision to partially rebalance economic life in the country was largely due to economic considerations, as Iran's financial situation is one of the worst in its history, the result of a devastating combination of the tough sanctions imposed by President Trump on the country and a sharp drop in the price of oil, from which Iran receives most of the foreign currency.

But despite the relief, Iran's medical condition remains mournful. 125 people died in the day that passed from the Corona disease and more than 1800 were infected. In total, according to the controversial figures provided by the regime, 70,000 people have been infected in Corona in the country and more than 4,300 have died. Both opposition and senior WHO officials have already argued in the past that the numbers provided by the regime are much lower than the reality.

In a comprehensive article by the Washington Post on the subject, the voices of the Corona patients in Iran and their families are raised for the first time. The heartbreaking stories show how unprepared Iran was for the plague, with the authorities responding to what was happening just weeks after the disease reached Iran.

Eileen, a student from Tehran, told the American newspaper how she was rejected several times when she demanded a corona test. Even after being diagnosed as a patient, she found out that her father, ill-fated, also contracted the disease. Due to full occupancy in the hospital, he was transferred to home isolation and did not receive the dialysis treatments he needed. Now she fears for his life.

Madhya, who has lost her husband to the disease, points an accusatory finger at the regime and tells The Post: "I don't think they are publishing the real numbers. They are afraid there will be panic and morale has dropped. Governments in controlled countries are taking better care of their citizens, even when they are having a fight."