According to local reports, Iran’s deputy health minister has tested positive for coronavirus and is now under quarantine.
Iraj Harirch had recently denied that the authorities were lying about the scale of the outbreak.
BREAKING: Iran's deputy health minister tests positive for coronavirus; he had previously looked unwell during a press conference pic.twitter.com/at0DHN0m3a
— BNO Newsroom (@BNODesk) February 25, 2020
A member of parliament for Qom, the city at the centre of Iran’s virus outbreak, claimed there had been 50 deaths there alone.
Meanwhile, Harirchi vowed to resign if it could be proven that even half the stated number of people had died.
Unless you have a loved one in Iran's prisons, you can't understand how helpless we Iranians feel.#CoronaVirus has now reached Iran's prisons. I feel for my imprisoned brother & countless other innocent people who're in Iran's jails.
— Masih Alinejad ?️ (@AlinejadMasih) February 25, 2020
World, hear us. Our rulers don't care!
Iran has reported 16 coronavirus deaths, the highest figure outside China, and said on Monday it had 61 confirmed cases and 900 other suspected cased.
Iran lawmakers says 50 dead of #coronavirus. Health ministry insisted only 12. Which is which? pic.twitter.com/vnTcVd23I1
— Watching the world (@Yurisabella1) February 24, 2020
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani urged people not to panic as the country struggles to contain the outbreak which the World Health Organisation described as “deeply concerning”.
This is a voice message from a doctor about #Coronavirus outbreak in, #Iran.
— Iran Momentum (@IranMomentum) February 24, 2020
He explains his observation within a few days of dealing with #COVID19 patients in Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran.?
With English subtitles. pic.twitter.com/6T0aTN8Tp9
