Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, June 18, 2020—Over 53,200 people have died of the novel coronavirus in 334 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 Thursday afternoon local time, June 18. The official death count declared by the regime stands at 9,272, nearly a sixth of the actual figure.
The death toll in various provinces include: 4,360 in Khuzestan, 2,975 in Isfahan, 1,890 in Lorestan, 1,780 in East Azerbaijan, 1,399 in Kermanshah, 1,130 in Kurdistan, 720 in Kerman, 630 in Markazi (Central) and 520 in Bushehr. This is in addition to reports obtained from other provinces.
Remarks made by Iranian regime President Hassan Rouhani signaled the growing scale of the novel coronavirus crisis across the country. “In cooperation with other COVID-19 committee, including the Social-Security Committee, specific agendas must be preplanned to control this illness in the relevant provinces in order to impose restrictions and agendas to control the virus in the necessary red provinces. These plans will be reviewed and adopted in the Saturday meeting of the [National COVID-19] Task Force,” he said on Wednesday, according to the Fars news agency, an outlet affiliated to the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC).
“Estimates indicate that the country will be engaged with the novel coronavirus for the next 12 months and related deaths will continue… In cases where the number of new cases increase in some cities, we will be forced to impose quarantine measures and harsher restrictions. Ten provinces are witnessing a rise in their stats,” said the regime’s Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi on Thursday, according to the state-run Hamshahri daily.
Over 53,200 dead of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Iran
In Isfahan physicians and local sources are reporting hundreds of deaths in the past five days alone among those who have contracted COVID-19.
“These days the novel coronavirus is spreading fast in the western and border cities of Kermanshah [province], including Ghasre Shirin, Gilane Gharb and Sarpole Zahab and resulting in the status quo becoming red due to the rise in the number of new cases and deaths. We had 30 new cases each day in Kermanshah province at the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic. These numbers have now increased to 300 new cases per day,” according to a Thursday report wired by the regime’s official IRNA news agency.
“In comparison to the past three weeks we are surpassing very different and dangerous circumstances in [East Azerbaijan] province… COVID-19 restrictions will be re-imposed due to the rise in numbers of new cases and deaths due to the novel coronavirus in this province,” said deputy governor of East Azerbaijan province on Thursday, according to the IRNA news agency.
In Fars province of south-central Iran, on Monday alone 550 new COVID-19 patients sought medical treatment at the Ali Asghar Hospital in the city of Shiraz, according to reports from local physicians. Due to a shortage of beds many of these individuals were sent to IRGC and regular army field hospitals. The number of such patients escalated to 700 on Tuesday while at least 37 COVID-19 deaths were reported in Shiraz on Monday.
“The unprecedented rise in the number of coronavirus deaths in Fars province has sounded alarms… The number of new cases during the past 24 hours was unprecedented since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic in Fars province,” said the dean of Shiraz Medical Sciences University on Wednesday, according to the IRNA news agency.
Officials in various provinces across #Iran are voicing concerns over the rising number of #COVID19 cases.https://t.co/vPOHCdYi4q
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 17, 2020
Harirchi declared that in Kurdistan, all congregations of more than two people will increase the chances of the spread of the virus. Harirchi said to the regime’s state-run television: “Kurdistan is among the provinces that have seen an increase in cases, hospitalized patients, and deaths in the past ten days… Three large hospitals of Sanandaj, which have 520 beds, have been allocated to this cause, and presently, a considerable number of these beds are occupied.”
At the same time, Javan quoted the dean of Kurdistan Medical Sciences University as saying, “Our main concern is that the number of patients are more than the capacity of nurses and physicians.”
In Southern Khorasan, the deputy dean of the Medical Sciences University of Birjand said, “In the past two weeks, the number of coronavirus cases in Southern Khorasan has regularly increased. We’re also seeing an increase in the number of hospitalized patients with respiratory symptoms. There are a lot of patients in the coronavirus section.” (Source: IRNA, June 17)
In Yazd, the dean of the medical sciences university said, “The number of hospitalized coronavirus patients has doubled in the past two weeks.” (Source: State TV, June 17)
The dean of Hormozgan Medical Sciences University said, “In the past 10 days, the number of coronavirus cases has constantly increased… We must consider that all the city is contaminated.” (Source: IRNA, June 18)
Fars News Agency reported that the banks of Hormozgan province won’t open on Thursday because of the spread of coronavirus. “The spread of coronavirus has resulted in the death of several bankers. Hormozgan will be shut down for three days starting on June 16, and the surrounding villages will be quarantined,” Fars reported.
In Khuzestan, eyewitnesses reported that even the hallways of hospitals in Ahvaz are filled with the sick. On Monday, at least six patients died before receiving care at the hospital. On the same day, in the Baghaei hospital alone, 20 patients died. According to Javan, in a briefing session the caretaker of Jondishapur Medical Sciences University declared that from the beginning of the outbreak until now, more than 30,000 people have contracted the novel coronavirus. But after a few minutes he denied the figures and ordered reporters and camera crews to exit the briefing room and continued the session behind closed doors. On social media, the unofficial number of coronavirus cases in Khuzestan in the past 24 hours is 1,200 cases, Javan reported on Wednesday.
Iran coronavirus outbreak death toll interactive map
