From silencing medics to banning 'rumors': Here's why Iran is struggling contain its coronavirus outbreak

Sophia Ankel,Sophia Ankel

Mar 9, 2020, 20:59 IST

From silencing medics to banning 'rumors': Here's why Iran is struggling contain its coronavirus outbreak

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An Iranian man wearing a mask walks past a mural displaying his national flag in Tehran on March 4, 2020.

Iran currently has the third-highest number of recorded coronavirus cases in the world outside of China.
The government has been accused of downplaying the severity of the epidemic and not revealing the true extent of the crisis, as officials fear the number of infections is much higher than the official count.
Popular mosques aren't heeding the government's advice to shut down, while several senior members of the Iranian government have also fallen ill.
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With more than 7,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, Iran is currently the third most-affected country in the world outside mainland China.

The government has shut down all of the country's schools and universities, and is disinfecting crowded spots daily.

But this isn't enough: Medical staff have reported being silenced, while experts warn that the number of infected patients could be much higher than the official count.

The government has also been accused of withholding important information and downplaying the severity of the epidemic.

Scroll down to learn more.

Three weeks ago, Iranian officials confidently said that the epidemic would not be a problem in their country. They even bragged about exporting face masks to their Chinese trading partners.

That's far from what the country looks like now.

With more than 7,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, Iran is currently the fourth most-affected country in the world, falling behind China, South Korea, and Italy.

Life in Iran has now come to a standstill. All of the country's schools and universities have closed down since February 23, alongside some cinemas and cultural centers.

Public places including buses, subways, and taxi stations are being disinfected on a daily basis.

Water consumption has reached the same level normally recorded in July — when people need more water due to the summer — because they are washing their hands so much more often.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has also been pictured wearing disposable gloves during a speech — an apparent health measure that he hadn't appeared to take before.

And the streets of Tehran, the country's capital, have been deserted as worries residents choose to stay home.

Neighboring countries like Turkey and Pakistan have also closed their borders with Iran. Iraq has also imposed an entry ban on any incoming Iranians.

But these measures don't seem to be enough. Iran's government has been accused of downplaying the severity of the epidemic and concealing important information that could have prevented further spread.

Overwhelmed medical staff have said they are being threatened with interrogation if they provide any information about patients, shortages, or fatalities to the media.

The country's parliament also said it would sentence anyone found "spreading rumors" about the outbreak to flogging and up to three years in prison. These "rumors" have largely encompassed any information about the virus, rather than outright falsities.

Meanwhile, Iran's top prosecutor general warned that hoarding face masks or other necessary equipment could end in the death penalty.

Medical experts have warned that the number of infected individuals in the country is much higher than what is being reported by officials.

A general surgeon in Isfahan warned as many as 12,000 probably had the virus and did not know it.

Meanwhile, public services are overwhelmed. A local politician for Rasht, a province northwest of Tehran, said hospitals were full, authorities were lying, and that the death toll was "a joke," as The Guardian put it.

Authorities have also been slammed for not closing down the holy city of Qom, the site of the first outbreak and where millions visit every year. Despite advice from the Ministry of Health, mosques and shrines are still holding mass services for pilgrims.

To make matters worse, more than 20 senior officials in Iran's parliament have also been infected with the coronavirus. They include Masoumeh Ebtekar, one of the country's vice presidents...

... and Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi, who was seen looking clearly flustered and unwell at a press conference on February 25.

Some senior officials, including a member of the Supreme Leader's senior advisory council, have also died of the virus.

The World Health Organization said that the situation in Iran is "deeply concerning."

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