Iran's VP, Masoumeh Ebtekar
It is a sad time for a country after its Vice President tested positive for the deadly coronavirus.
Iran’s vice-president has been diagnosed with coronavirus, state
media have reported, as the country struggles to stop the spread of the
disease, IndependentUK has reported.
Masoumeh Ebtekar is among 254 people infected with the virus in the Middle Eastern nation, where 26 people have been killed.
The vice-president for women and family affairs is better known
internationally as the English-language spokeswoman for the
hostage-takers who seized the US embassy in Tehran in 1979, sparking a
444-day diplomatic crisis.
Recall that Iran’s deputy health minister also tested positive for
the virus earlier this week, hours after appearing visibly unwell at a
press conference during which he denied the government was suppressing
the scale of the outbreak.
Coronavirus cases in Iran spiked by 106 over the last 24 hours, the
country’s health ministry announced on Thursday. The country’s death
toll from the outbreak is higher than any country except China, where
the epidemic began.
The outbreak has prompted Iranian authorities to cancel Friday
prayers in Tehran. Health ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said there
were also plans to impose restrictions at some holy Muslim sites but
the plan “needs the approval of the president before being carried out”.
Mr Jahanpur, speaking to state TV, urged Iranians to avoid “unnecessary trips inside the country”.
State news agency IRNA said Chinese citizens have been banned from
entering the country. Similar restrictions have been implemented by
dozens of other nations including the US, Russia, South Korea and
Australia in a bid to stem the spread of coronavirus.
Michael Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organisation’s
emergencies programme, said Iran’s 10 per cent mortality rate – five
times higher than China – was probably due to milder cases of the
disease not being picked up.
No comments:
Post a Comment