Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, April 8, 2020—The state-run Jahane Sanat daily in Iran published a piece on April 7 acknowledging the criminal nature of the regime’s plan to send people back to work and literally expose them to the novel coronavirus.
“Safeguarding people’s lives, their security and social/economic welfare should be the first priority of all governments. However, it appears that this subject is not the top priority of our government. The result can be witnessed in the increasing gap between our social classes and more people living in poverty,” the piece reads. “In general, the continuation of the government’s current measures will lead to the further spread of COVID-19, impose far more expenses upon the country and leave many more people dead.”
More than 20,400 people have died of coronavirus in 245 cities checkered across all of Iran's 31 provinces, according to the Iranian opposition PMOI/MEK.#Iran#COVID19 pic.twitter.com/Te7HVqdaBe
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 7, 2020
Furthermore, Parvaneh Salahshouri, a member of the regime’s Majlis (parliament), made interesting remarks to various state outlets on April 7. “Officials lack the ability to impose quarantine measures. The government’s top priority is the country’s economy, not people’s lives and health. Officials did not have the option to provide for the people’s needs at their doorsteps under quarantine conditions,” she said, indicating the regime’s economic impasse.
All the while, comments by regime officials shed further light on the mullahs’ deceptive measures on the subject of coronavirus and when authorities were aware about the virus’ spread. The representative of the Health Minister in Gilan Province, northern Iran, said on April 7, “Portraying the status quo as normal for the people will lead to further crises. The process announced can lead to far more dilemmas and place us in danger.”
Head of the Kashan Medical Sciences University in south-central Iran said 965 patients suffering from severe respiratory illnesses tested positive for COVID-19. “We are in the coronavirus phase, and not the post-coronavirus phase. We are witnessing a gradual increase in the number of people hospitalized and a second wave of COVID-19 in the next few days is quite possible,” he said on April 7 to the Fars news agency, affiliated to the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC).
Spokesperson of the Kerman Medical Sciences University in south-central Iran told the state-run ISNA news agency, “Around 30 percent of yesterday’s tests in Kerman Province were reported as positive. This was the first time that we received positive test results from across the province.”
