Daily US Times, Tehran: Iran is descending into chaos amid the coronavirus outbreak with 8% of Iran’s parliament has been infected. The government is seemingly incapable of handling the scale of the crisis and even threaten the death penalty to those who hoard the necessary materials or equipment.
The country is one of the worst sufferers from the coronavirus outbreak, while at least 77 people have died in Iran from the virus so far with 2,300 confirmed cases.
But on Friday, ABC News reported citing hospital sources that the death toll from coronavirus in Iran was actually 210.
According to CNN, at least 8% of Iran’s parliament, which makes the number 23 of the 290-member parliament has been infected by the virus. Iran’s deputy health minister and one of the country’s vice presidents were among the affected. Mohammad Mirmohammadi, a key adviser to the country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has died from it.
Iran’s parliament has been suspended indefinitely and the lawmakers are asked not to go out or meet with the public.
Iran appears to have the biggest number of government officials infected with the virus. So far the country has confirmed at least seven officials, including Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar, have tested positive for coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Iran has temporarily released more than 54,000 prisoners in an effort to combat the spread of coronavirus disease in crowded jails.
The inmates were granted furlough after testing negative for Covid-19 and posting bail, according to the judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili.
People in Iran are not leaving their homes amid the outbreak, which has apparently eliminated pollution from the skies of the capital, Tehran.
Despite the virus was originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Iran seems the new epicenter for it. New York has reported two coronavirus cases, and one of them is a woman who had recently been traveling in Iran.
The US announced a travel ban on Iran to any foreign nationals who had been in the country over the past 14 days.
US State Department offered help but Iran rejected it.
