Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, March 8, 2020—The coronavirus crisis is expanding in Iran and the regime continues in its failure to properly address this crisis. One result is that more regime officials are dying in this epidemic. Sheikh-reza Mohammadi Langroudi, former representative of the Iranian regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the town of Langroud, northern Iran, died of COVID-19 on Saturday, March 7.
Other reports indicate Fatemeh Rahbar, a known regime insider and set to enter the mullahs’ Majlis (parliament), has also died of this virus. Other cases include Colonel Aziz of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), inspector of state police in Gilan Province, northern Iran; and Akbar Dehghan, a mullah known widely in the city of Qom, one of Iran’s main COVID-19 hotspots.
UPDATE 7:00 PM CET
Over 2,300 people in 115 cities across Iran have lost their lives to the coronavirus epidemic as the illness further spreads across the country, according to the Iranian opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). These cities include Tehran, Qom, Zahden, Gonbad, Abadan, Saveh, Varamin, Qarchak, Shahre-Rey, Kashan, Isfahan, Rasht, Hashtpar, Rezvanshahr, Astaneh, Mashhad, Kashmar, Birjand, Sari, Qaemshahr, Babol and others
Over 2,300 people in 115 cities across Iran have lost their lives to the coronavirus epidemic as the illness spreads across the country, according to the Iranian opposition PMOI/MEK.#Iran#COVID19 https://t.co/OKoM7I59G8
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 8, 2020
All the while, the mullahs’ regime is continuing its deceptive measures cloaking the truth about the scope of this disaster.
“Coronavirus death toll in Gilan Province [northern Iran] has reached 200… 800 to 900 are infected," says Mohammad Hossein Ghorbani, the Health Minister's Plenipotentiary Representative in Gilan Province. It is worth noting that the Health Ministry’s latest announcement on the total number of deaths in Iran stands at 194.
"#Coronavirus death toll in Gilan Province [northern Iran] has reached 200… 800 to 900 are infected," says Mohammad Hossein Ghorbani, the Health Minister's Plenipotentiary Representative in Gilan Province.
Official death toll: 194
Remarks prove #Iran's regime is lying. pic.twitter.com/ZRQrAXTceM
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 8, 2020
The number of people infected with the coronavirus in Mazandaran Province has increased and doubled, according to Abdullah Razian, a member of the regime’s Majlis (parliament) from the city of Qaemshahr in the northern Iranian province. Existing equipment and supplies addressing this illness are not adequate, he added, saying the people are in stress and conditions in the province are not good.
The number of people infected with COVID-19 is on the rise and it may increase for another two to three weeks, said Majlis member Mohammad Javad Jamali. Currently the medical staff are facing a large number of coronavirus patients and many are in ICU, he added.
Iran Air has cancelled all its flights from Iran to Europe citing restrictions imposed by the Green Continent. The regime’s Aviation Organization has imposed flight restrictions to Kish Island in southern Iran due to the COVID-19 expansion. No tickets are being sold for flights to the southern island.
Director of Tourism in Tehran Province says hotels in some cities will be used to hospitalize coronavirus patients, adding hospitals have limited capacity.
Abdollah Javadi Amoli, a senior religious figure in the mullahs’ regime, deviously said the COVID-19 virus is a “divine test” and that the “result of this test will be determined on justice day. One should pray to confront this virus.”
Majlis member Gholam Ali Jafarzadeh Imenabadi questioned the regime’s official stats. “I should say very frankly that the numbers of those infected and deaths from the coronavirus is not correct,” he said. “… the cemeteries have no space and bodies are being buried on top of each other. In my opinion each day 30 to 40 people in this province are dying from this illness… let me be frank, we cannot maintain the safety of our medical staff. I would not be lying if I said that 50 percent the province’s medical staff are infected.”
Kianush Jahanpour, spokesperson of the mullahs’ Health Ministry, confirmed that COVID-19 numbers are on the rise. “We are certainly still on the rise and the number of people infected will continue to increase… The death rate has increased in the past few days among those confirmed to be infected with the virus,” he added.
As a result of the coronavirus the Iraqi government has taken measures and closed its borders with Iran at five border crossings.
Unfortunately, two physicians in Gilan Province by the names of Dr. Mohammad Mohammad, former head of the General Physicians Association in Rasht, and Dr. Mohammad Ali Rabie, a physician from the town of Shafat, have just recently lost their lives in the effort to provide medical care for Iranians suffering from COVID-19.
11:00 AM CET
As the coronavirus is spreading across the country and authorities have no control over the status quo, the mullahs’ regime has with much delay began blocking the entrance of visitors to the provinces of Ilam, Golestan, Gilan, Semnan, Qazvin Lorestan and Mazandaran. State of alert has been announced in the cities of Rasht, Qazvin, Yazd and Doleijan.
Over 2,000 people across 105 cities of Iran have died to the coronavirus, according to the Iranian opposition PMOI/MEK.
The cities include Tehran, Qom, Rasht, Anzali, Astaneh, Rudsar, Chalus, Isfahan, Khansar, Kermanshah, Karaj, Mashhad, Saqqez, Baneh & … #Iran#coronavirus pic.twitter.com/9dGhuO76x7
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 7, 2020
“The situation in Gilan Province is far beyond code red and we are witnessing the coronavirus spreading at an alarming rate,” said a health official in the city of Rasht.
The city of Anzali in northern Iran is witnessing a coronavirus outbreak and has been quarantined. Reports indicate all cinemas have been closed across the country until at least April 3. In the city of Kashan, south-central Iran, no vehicle carrying a non-local license plate is allowed into the city. Reports from the city of Zanjan in northwest Iran indicate the number of people being infected with COVID-19 is on the rise. Officials at the University of Medical Sciences in Qom announced the number of people being hospitalized in this city is constantly on the rise.
Videos obtained from inside Iran show more coronavirus patients passing out and possibly dying in the streets as the regime fails to take necessary measures to help citizens.
“The number of our COVID-19 patients is on the rise. Currently we have 140,000 beds in our hospitals… We may need to add ten times this number of beds,” said the Iranian regime’s Deputy Health Minister. Another regime official said, “41 percent of the people suffering from COVID-19 in Kerman Province (south-central Iran) are members of our medical staff because we are facing a challenge and major problems in procuring masks, rubbing alcohol and gloves even for our medical centers.”
According to credible reports, a large number of inmates in Ghezel Hesar Prison of Karaj, west of Tehran, have been infected with the coronavirus. All of these inmates have been transferred from their ward to the prison’s quarantine section. However, it is not clear how many of the remaining inmates are infected with COVID-19. Furthermore, the prison warden has built a new kitchen for the prison and the inmates were forced to provide the necessary budget.
The conditions of prisoners have been of special concern since the outbreak began. The President-Elect of the National Council of The Resistance of Iran Mrs. Maryam Rajavi previously warned, “The outbreak of the Coronavirus in Evin and Gohardasht prisons is a serious danger and I urge the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Human Rights Council to immediately intervene to save the lives of prisoners and prevent a major humanitarian catastrophe Iran.”
The outbreak of the #Coronavirus in Evin and Gohardasht prisons is a serious danger. I urge the UN High Commissioner for #HumanRights and the Human Rights Council to immediately intervene to save the lives of prisoners and prevent a major humanitarian catastrophe #Iran
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) February 26, 2020
An eyewitness report from Gorgan in northern Iran: “Gorgan Hospital has no room for new patients. There are even patients who are placed on the ground or in the courtyards. Many have died. The situation is so dire that all those people who had other illnesses have been sent home and they are only hospitalizing COVID-19 patients.”
Eyewitness report from Mashhad, northeast Iran: “The situation is so grim that even bakeries and small stores have closed down.”
Reports indicate that unfortunately the following members of Iran’s brave medical staff have lost their life in the ongoing struggle against COVID-19.
Hamid Lotfi, orthopedic physician
Reza Kouchaki-nia, general physician
Gholamreza Vothoughi-kia, nurse
Ali Sheikh Moradi, nurse in Rasht, northern Iran
Siamak Diushli, pediatrician in Anzali, northern Iran
Mostafa Samadi, general physician in Babol, northern Iran
Mohammad Ali Rabie, general physician in Shafat, northern Iran
Narges Khanalizadeh, nurse in Lahijan, northern Iran
Ramin Azazi-far, nurse in Tehran
