The Iranian and Chinese flags were projected last Thursday on the iconic Azadí tower in Tehran. That gesture of unity against Covid-19 takes on a new symbolism on Monday: the Ministry of Health has confirmed 14 deaths and 61 positive for coronavirus.

Iran is the country in the Middle East with the highest number of dead and infected. The Government is presented with two struggles: stop the spread of the virus and prevent the chronic distrust of the Iranians in the authorities to increase the concern. " If the death toll of Qom is half or a quarter of those announced [by the deputy] I resign, " said Health spokesman Iraj Harirchi in a press conference. The spokesman found no more blunt argument after a chaotic closed parliamentary session, in which Qom's representative, Ahmad Amirabadi-Farahani, said the death toll in that religious city, the international center of Islamic studies, is much higher than the announced.

According to the accounts of several local media, Amirabadi told reporters on Monday that 50 patients have died in their constituency because of the Covid-19 strain, so it requires a total quarantine. In addition, he stressed, the number of quarantined patients amounts to 250, and the infections began on February 13, earlier than announced by the authorities. A day earlier, through Twitter, the parliamentarian accused the government of "not taking seriously the [outbreak of] coronavirus in Qom".

The authorities have denied size numbers and called for calm. But, in Iran, memory marks. " The Internet was being cut off and they were lying to us about the demolition of the Ukrainian plane , and am I supposed to believe them now with the coronavirus?" Says a young programmer. Similar counts proliferate among other Iranians on foot, symptoms of a wide distrust of a notable part of the population towards their rulers, crystallized after years of traumatic disagreements.

Many have stopped using official media and sources and, instead, watch satellite channels or rely on the information provided by online news channels, which may contain hoaxes or unverified information. Such a situation is land paid for panic, which begins to show in the streets. "Excuse me," a taxi driver says to this journalist when he gets on. The vehicle is completely lined with plastic inside and gives off a stench of unbearable alcohol.

While companies ask their workers to apply a telecommuting protocol , or the price of masks skyrockets in pharmacies, and the high cost of these, all countries bordering Iran have closed their borders. Iraq, as well as Kuwait and Bahrain, two countries on the shore of the Persian Gulf, have recorded their first cases of Covid-19, in passengers from Iran. Some airlines connected to Tehran, such as the Turkish Pegasus, have temporarily suspended their flights.

The streets of the Iranian capital are filling up with banners, installed by the authorities, offering advice to prevent contagion. "I love you, that's why I don't shake your hand," says one of them. In others it is advised not to touch stray animals, wear a mask or resort to soaps and disinfectant gels. The authorities have ordered to close cinemas and auditoriums, as well as universities and football stadiums. Student dormitories have been evicted. But the restlessness can be felt. In a gesture to gain some confidence, the Ministry of Health is intensifying public appearances at one every noon. One of his spokesmen, Kianush Jahanpur, has acknowledged that there could be more infected, but only those who have severe symptoms. "We do not take into account political or economic factors, we are putting public health above all priorities," he insisted. Health has reported that two patients improve and another was discharged.

Although the focus of Covid-19 is a city visited by thousands of Shia seminarians around the world, clerical authorities have refused to close the Qom pilgrimage centers. Some clerics have linked the virus with a plot to harm religious institutions. This Sunday, the Iranian Supreme Guide, Ali Jamenei, accused foreign media of reporting the outbreak of coronavirus with the intention of damaging participation in legislative elections last Friday, which was 42.5%.

One of the biggest concerns of Iranians at this time is how the sanctions imposed by the US on Iran in 2018, which hinder the importation of medicines and medical equipment, can hinder the fight against the coronavirus. The Ministry of Health has insisted that they have everything they need , and that the World Health Organization has helped Tehran acquire four diagnostic equipment from Europe, and that there is more on the way.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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  • Science and Health
  • Coronavirus
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