TEHRAN – Iran issued its most dire warning yet on Tuesday about theoutbreak of the new coronavirus ravaging the country, suggesting millionscould die in the Islamic Republic if the public keeps travelling andignoring health guidance.
A state television journalist who also is a medical doctor gave the warningonly hours after hard-line Shia faithful had last night pushed their wayinto the courtyards of two major shrines that had just been closed overfears of the virus.
Meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader issued a religious ruling prohibitingunnecessary travel in the country.
Roughly nine out of 10 of the over 18,000 cases of the new virus confirmedacross the Middle East come from Iran, where authorities denied for daysthe risk the outbreak posed. Officials have now implemented new checks forpeople trying to leave major cities ahead of Nauroz, the Persian New Year,on Friday, but have hesitated to quarantine the areas.
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That’s even as the death toll in Iran saw another 13 per cent increase onTuesday. Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said the virus hadkilled 135 more people to raise the total to 988 amid over 16,000 cases.
