Iran: The Staggering Coronavirus Death Toll in 379 Cities Exceeds 88,400

Ahmad Mir-Abadi Farahani, member of the presidium of the regime parliament: Despite observing health protocols and social distancing in the parliament, how can the presence of the president be considered risky, but the University Entrance Exams candidates must take the exam?

• Alireza Zali, head of the National Coronavirus Combat Taskforce (NCCT) in Tehran: It was a strategic mistake to blame the people for the Coronavirus outbreak in recent months. This was not the reality. (Mehr news agency, August 14, 2020)

• Reza Jalili Khoshnood, a member of NCCT in Tehran: Most hospitals are fully involved in Coronavirus using their maximum capacity. At present, most Coronavirus patients are hospitalized with an acute and severe condition (Shafaghna news site, August 14, 2020)
• Shiraz University of Medical Sciences: 19 people have died in the past 24 hours, and 106 patients are in the intensive care unit
• Qazvin University of Medical Sciences: 68 patients are hospitalized in intensive care units, 29 people connected to ventilators, and eight are in queue to use them.

The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) announced on August 14, 2020, that the number of Coronavirus death toll in 379 cities across Iran had reached more than 88,400. The number of victims in Tehran is 21,735, Khuzestan 6,102, Mazandaran 4,180, Fars 2,494, Golestan 2,484, Kermanshah 2,155, Hormozgan 1,148, Semnan 1,107, Central Province 1,091, Ardabil 1,040, and Ilam 710.

In reaction to Rouhani’s absence from the parliament to defend his proposed Cabinet Minister, Ahmad Mir-Abadi Farahani, member of the regime parliament’s presidium, said, “The deputies questions is how come despite observing health protocols and social distancing in the parliament, the presence of the president is considered risky, but the University Entrance Exams candidates must take the exam without following health protocols? The president’s chief of staff must respond to the question, why are they playing with the people’s lives,” according to the parliament’s website, August 13, 2020. Earlier, Rouhani’s Chief of Staff Mahmoud Vaezi, had written to the regime parliament stating that “On the recommendation of the Health Committee of the NCCT, given the possibility of Coronavirus infection, Rouhani should not attend the vote of confidence  session for the proposed Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade,.”

Alireza Zali, head of Tehran’s NCCT, told Mehr news agency today, “It was a ‘strategic mistake’ that in recent months, we had blamed the Coronavirus outbreak only on the people, which was not the case. Haste in reopening can lead to the thinking that the disease is gone. Coronavirus damages have been far more significant than in the early days of the disease. The virus will continue if we do not have a realistic view of the Coronavirus, we will lose public trust.”

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)

August 14, 2020