Iran’s official coronavirus death toll rose to 5,031 on Saturday but a parliamentary report said the actual number could be much higher. Up to ten times higher. A deputy minister warned the infection could spread further in autumn. Iran admits its coronavirus infections could be 10 times higher.
On Thursday, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said the death toll had risen by 92, while the total number of cases of infection reached 77,995.
INFECTIONS IN IRAN ARE MUCH HIGHER
However, a report by the Iranian parliament’s research center suggested that the coronavirus tolls might be almost twice as many as those announced by the health ministry.
The report said:
The assessment is that the actual mortality which has not been accounted for is 0.8 times the official figures. The number of infected cases could be 8 to 10 times the official figures.
The report said that Iran’s official coronavirus figures were only based on the number of deaths in hospitals; as well as those who had already tested positive for the coronavirus.
It said:
To narrow the gap between the officially announced figures and the estimated figures, it is necessary to improve the laboratory capacity of the country.
Iranian health ministry officials have not commented on the report, which it published online.
IRAN CAN ILL-AFFORD TO KILL SYRIAN CIVILIANS
The government is worried that measures to limit public activities could wreck an economy which has already been battered by sanctions. Iranian capacity to kill innocent civilians in Syria is diminishing by the day.
On Thursday, low-risk business activities resumed across the country. This includes many shops, factories and workshops, with the exception of Tehran. They will re-open in the capital from Saturday.
Health experts have criticized easing of the limitations, warning about the new wave of the disease.
Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi called on people to stay at home, saying:
We are expecting the epidemic to pick up in autumn.
On social media, Iranians posted pictures of busy streets, packed branches of banks and crowded buses in Tehran and other cities.
Iran is the Middle Eastern country with the worst impact by the COVID-19 respiratory disease. The country has one of the world’s highest death tolls.
Reuters contributed to this report.
COMMENTS