Coronavirus: Iran Records Jump of 1,000 New Cases as 63 Die in 24-hours

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Iran has now recorded around 9,000 coronavirus cases in the country, nearly a thousand more cases in one day, Kianush Jahanpur, a health ministry spokesman, said on Wednesday.

The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak has reached 354, a rise of 63 in the past 24 hours, Jahanpur told state TV.

Wednesday’s tally is the highest single-day toll since the start of the outbreak in February.

Jahanpur added that 2,959 patients have fully recovered, and called on Iranians to avoid unnecessary trips and stay at home.

Iran is now the worst infected country in the Middle East and the third worldwide, following China and Italy.

The capital Tehran recorded the most new infections with 256 cases, followed by the central province of Isfahan with 170 cases.

The outbreak in the Islamic Republic has prompted authorities to temporarily release around 70,000 prisoners to contain the spread of the illness, which has now spread to all Iranian cities.

Those released did not include political prisoners, however.

The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran said on Tuesday that he had asked the country to release all prisoners temporarily, saying that it is “unfortunate and disturbing” to have political prisoners detained amid the coronavirus outbreak.

“A number of dual and foreign nationals are at real risk if they have not…got it (coronavirus) they are really fearful of the conditions,” Javaid Rehman told journalists in Geneva.

Read the full article on Middle East Eye, March 11, 2020