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Rouhani Praises “Glorious” Iranians Who Follow Covid-19 Rules

November 27, 2020
Pouyan Khoshhal
4 min read
On the fifth day of extensive lockdowns across Iran, government officials continued to make contradictory assessments of the situation
On the fifth day of extensive lockdowns across Iran, government officials continued to make contradictory assessments of the situation
President Rouhani claimed that, on average, 90 percent of the people are following health guidelines, which he described as “glorious”
President Rouhani claimed that, on average, 90 percent of the people are following health guidelines, which he described as “glorious”

President Rouhani has praised Iranians for following lockdown rules, saying it was “glorious” that shopkeepers and workers were complying with tough measures even though they are living under difficult conditions. Citing figures announced by the National Coronavirus Taskforce’s “Base of Operations,” Rouhani claimed that “on average 90 percent of the people are following health guidelines.”

But, on the fifth day of what some officials have called “extensive lockdowns” across Iran, the habit of government officials making contradictory statements about the coronavirus crisis continues.

Contradicting Rouhani, Dr. Alireza Zali, the director of the Tehran Coronavirus Taskforce, had a less rosy view of the situation. “Field observations indicate that violations of quarantine by individuals who have tested positive for coronavirus continue in Tehran,” he said a few hours after President Rouhani spoke on the topic. He also emphasized that since Saturday, November 21, when the lockdown went into effect, there had been no significant changes in the number of hospitalizations and fatalities in Tehran. He reported that in the last 24 hours alone, 92 people confirmed to have Covid-19 died in the nation’s capital.

Dr. Zali also reported that on Tuesday, November 24, at least 151 people who had tested positive for Covid-19 had gone to the airports to travel to other provinces in Iran.

Minister of Roads and Urban Developments Mohammad Eslami, however, claimed that airlines were following health guidelines — “100 percent,” he said. He added that the air, land and railroad transportation system has been connected to the health ministry’s information system and those people who had tested positive for coronavirus were prevented from boarding. “In the last few days approximately 700 [who had tested positive] were identified and they were prevented from boarding transportation.”

“Fortunately, the number of hospitalizations of coronavirus patients has not increased in the last few days. But until this statistical trend reaches a meaningful level we cannot judge conclusively,” said Dr. Nader Tavakoli, deputy director of the Tehran Coronavirus Taskforce. He said that the rate of fatalities among hospitalized coronavirus patients in Tehran had fallen below two percent, but noted that this number did not include patients at private clinics and treatment centers.

Regardless of the numbers, Dr. Tavakoli warned that an analysis of the situation showed a high rate of infections and an active virus transmission chain. “The level of infections are higher than what you might think and this makes contact tracing more important than ever,” he said.

Members of parliament have been protesting that they have no representative in the National Coronavirus Taskforce. On November 25, following a request by Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf submitted to the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, First Deputy Speaker Amir Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi was appointed as a member of the taskforce.

Iranians have adopted the United States’ tradition of “Black Friday,” the sales season before Christmas. But the health ministry spokeswoman Dr. Sima Sadat Lari said that, under the present conditions, such sales are banned. She reiterated that only essential businesses can operate in “red,” or high alert, cities and they are allowed to be open only until 8pm.

 

Provinces Round-up

By the order of Qom provincial government, all gatherings have been banned. Qom University of Medical Sciences announced that, on average, every day nine people are losing their lives to coronavirus in this province. One health official said that that the number of infections and fatalities has declined in the last few days and as of November 25, less than 45 percent of coronavirus tests are positive.

However, Siamak Mohebi, president of Qom Health Center, said: “the health situation in reception halls, shopping centers, bakeries, hair salons and lines in front of fruit juice and ice cream shops is not satisfactory. The size of the crowds at chain stores still worries the university of medical sciences greatly, as does the situation of crowded day markets.”

Of the 437 coronavirus tests carried out in the last 24 hours in Kermanshah province, 231, or more than 50 percent, have been positive, reported Dr. Mohammad Mehdi of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. In the same 24 hours, 164 new Covid-19 patients were hospitalized, bringing the total current number of hospitalizations in the province to 863, and 163 patients left the hospitals. With the death of 14 further Covid-19 patients, the total death toll in the province now stands at 1,213.

 

Iran’s Latest Coronavirus Statistics

In her daily briefing for November 25, the health ministry spokeswoman Dr. Sima Sadat Lari announced the official coronavirus statistics for the last 24 hours:

Rouhani Praises “Glorious” Iranians Who Follow Covid-19 Rules

 

Dr. Lari also reported that all 31 Iranian provinces are in red, orange or yellow states of alert.

Rouhani Praises “Glorious” Iranians Who Follow Covid-19 Rules

 

 

This is part of IranWire's coronavirus chronology. Read the full chronology

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