Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, March 31, 2020—The death toll of Iran’s coronavirus outbreak has risen to 14,700, with the victims spread across 237 cities, according to information obtained by the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The death count in different provinces include: 1,500 in Isfahan, 135 in Ilam, 1,900 in Tehran, 1,120 in Khorasan Razavi, 635 in Khuzestan, 280 in Zanjan, 240 in Zanjan, 240 in Kurdistan, 180 in Kerman, 400 in Kermanshah, 705 in Golestan, 1,060 in Mazandaran, 230 in Markazi, and 300 in Hamedan. This is in addition to the death toll in other provinces.
The regime has acknowledged 3,111 new COVID-19 cases and 141 new deaths in the past 24 hours. The official death toll declared by the regime is 2,898, less than a fifth of the reality.
Over 14,700 dead of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Iran
In his daily dose of falsehood dissemination, regime president Hassan Rouhani tried to downplay the situation and claimed, “Inpatients have reduced, and the situation is good in many provinces.”
But in a televised meeting between Rouhani and medical experts, when Rouhani claimed that the entire world was taken by surprise, one of the doctors replied, “My request is that we speak in facts. We can’t run the country with guesses. As a university teacher, I can assert that we did not use our potential. Mr. President, the entire world was surprised, but our surprise was much worse.”
Another medical expert told Rouhani, “In many parts of the country, including Tehran, we still haven’t reached the peak. We need to preserve the isolation and quarantine conditions for another three-to-four weeks. SARS had several peaks, therefore, this virus will probably stay with us for a year of two.”
The Medical University of Zahedan declared that by noon, March 31, there were 1,258 bedridden patients in the hospitals under the care of this university, and 99 people had died. The Kurdistan Medical University reported seven children under the age of 10 infected with COVID-19 and warned that the coronavirus will climax in Kurdistan in the next few days. One of the specialist doctors from the Ali bin Abu Talib hospital in Qom said that on March 29, the number of patients has increased considerably in comparison to the previous month and hospitals are faced with severe shortage of medical gear and supplies.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, paid homage to the doctors and nurses who courageously helped the coronavirus patients without receiving any support from the regime.
“They risk their own lives while their basic rights have been trampled for years under the mullahs’ rule. All of us feel indebted to these selfless women and men,” Mrs. Rajavi said.
We commemorate the physicians and nurses who lost their lives to provide care to the #Coronavirus patients. They risk their own lives while their basic rights have been trampled for years under the mullahs’ rule. All of us feel indebted to these selfless women and men #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/URj7SlJki3
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) March 30, 2020
Ali Rabiei, the spokesperson for Rouhani’s government, said, “On February 19, after the ministers’ meeting and despite political doubts, we explicitly declared the entrance of the virus to the country.”
However, revelations made by the Iranian resistance prove that the regime knew about coronavirus cases at least two weeks earlier but had covered it up for its own political interests.
Regarding the regime’s abuse of the coronavirus outbreak to get rid of U.S. sanctions, Rabiei said, “Some of the petrol media claim that the Iranian government is taking advantage of the coronavirus to lift sanctions. This is simplistic.” Again, the Iranian resistance has time and again debunked the regime’s claims that sanctions are hurting its efforts to deal with the coronavirus outbreak. This is a view that is shared by other politicians.
On Monday, Morgan Ortagus, spokesperson of the U.S. State Department, reiterated that the regime is hampering efforts to counter the COVID-19 crisis.
Stop lying.
Stop stealing.
If the Iranian regime needs funds to deal with the #coronavirus, it can access billions in @khamenei_ir's tax-free hedge fund.
It's not the sanctions. It's the regime. pic.twitter.com/WZ1gipkV3A
— Morgan Ortagus (@statedeptspox) March 30, 2020
Other news pertains that coronavirus has spread to a military compound in Birjand and several soldiers have contracted the virus. The news caused fear and panic among military personal in the garrison.
After news broke of the spread of the infection, many of the soldiers fled the garrison or took leave and didn’t return. According to some reports, half of the garrison is now empty.
Other reports indicate that the COVID-19 has also spread to the Parandak garrison in Tehran and around 400 soldiers who have contracted the virus have been hospitalized and several have lost their lives.
Interactive map of Iran's coronavirus deaths