Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, May 23, 2020—The failure of the mullahs’ regime ruling Iran in responding to the coronavirus pandemic is further escalating the country’s ongoing crisis on a daily basis.
“The coronavirus alarm bells can still be heard in Khuzestan Province. Currently there are 843 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the hospitals of this province,” said Ali Ehsanpour, spokesperson of the Ahvaz Medical Sciences University, on Friday, May 22.
“Considering the red zone designation of Khuzestan Province due to the recent coronavirus surge and the upcoming Eid al-Fitr [end of Ramadhan] holidays, the entrance of this province from Khuzestan will be closed for private vehicles and sedans until further notice,” said Colonel Reza Dowlatshahi, head of traffic police in Khuzestan Province, on Friday.
Following the increase in the number of coronavirus cases in Khuzestan Provinces, all roads leading to the neighboring Chaharmahal & Bakhtiari Province in southern Iran have been closed to commuters from Khuzestan Province.
Weeks ago, senior Iranian regime officials issued orders for people to return to work despite warnings from their own lower-level officials & experts. Khuzestan Province in southwest #Iran is now witnessing a very alarming rise in new #COVID__19 cases.https://t.co/AeNYLpuQB1
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 16, 2020
Conditions in the cities of Chabahar and Iranshahr of Sistan & Baluchistan Province in southeast Iran have also been designated as code red.
“Following the recent increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, the cities of Iranshahr and Chabahar are now designated as red areas,” said Mohammad Mehran Aminifard, dean of the Iranshahr Medical Sciences University, on Friday, May 22.
“The increasing trend of coronavirus cases have resulted in [the city of Chabahar] being designated as a red area,” according to Rahmdel Bameri, deputy governor of Sistan & Baluchistan Province. “The city of Chabahar is now designated a red area. The number of positive COVID-19 cases have increased 15-fold in comparison to two months ago,” he added.
“Considering the fact that Chabahar is now considered a red area, all shopping centers and units providing services in the Chabahar free trade zone were closed down,” said Abdolrahim Kordi, head of the Chabahar free trade zone.
The Iranian regime’s destructive policies during the #coronavirus pandemic has left #Iran’s already ailing economy in an even worse situation, further affecting all segments of the society, especially the impoverished classes.https://t.co/ZHnCTS47Tw
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 22, 2020
The governor of Mehdishahr, a city in Semnan Province, east of the Iranian capital Tehran, announced code red in this area on Friday. “Despite the fact that prior to this the circumstances in Mehdishahr was described as code yellow in regard to the coronavirus crisis, the number of new cases in this city has constantly been on the rise recently,” he said.
Over 43,600 people have died of the novel coronavirus in 319 cities checkered across all of Iran’s 31 provinces, according to reports tallied by the Iranian opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) as of Friday afternoon local time, May 22. The official death count declared by the regime is 7,359, less than a sixth of the actual figure.
The death toll in various provinces include: 7,090 in Tehran, 3,195 in Khuzestan, 1,545 in East Azerbaijan, 1,290 in Lorestan, 606 in Markazi, 525 in Kerman, and 287 in Kohgiluyeh & Boyer Ahmed. This is in addition to reports obtained from other provinces. Physicians are reporting that over 220 coronavirus patients have died in Tehran’s Labafinezhad Hospital alone.
