Iran: Coronavirus Death Toll Surpasses 150,700 in 465 Cities

Health Ministry figures break the record: 462 deaths, 11,700 new infections in the past 24 hours

• While regime functionaries and experts demand a lockdown of the country for at least two weeks to contain the virus, the National Coronavirus Task Force (NCCT), chaired by Rouhani opposes such a move.
• Iraj Harirchi, deputy health minister: 65 Medical School chairs request that country be shut down in two weeks. Small steps are not the solution at the peak of the epidemic. (State Television, November 10, 2020).
• Massoud Mardani: COVID19 Scientific Committee member: Lockdown must be implemented completely. We hope the two-week lockdown suggested by the scientific committee is implemented. (VANA News, November 11, 2020).
• Deputy Health Minister, Kohler: The situation is so grave that experts believe the country must be shut down for at least two weeks. But NCCT imposed 12-hour restrictions which are not being implemented very well. (Hamshahri daily, November 11, 2020).
• Minoo Mohraz, NCCT member: The epidemic is very concerning. The solution is to announce a two-week total lockdown. The cost of treatment is horrendous. The government should pay part of the cost to the people to stay home. (IRNA, November 11, 2020).
• Member of the Scientific Board of Shiraz Univ.: The only way to contain the sharp and increasing trend of the virus is a complete two-week lockdown. (ISNA, November 11, 2020).
• Saeed Khal, Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery Director: COVID19 deaths has reached 10 times the daily figure relative to previous years. Before between 150 to 170 corpses would come in. Now, however, on average 350 bodies are brought in. (Associated Press, November 11, 2020).

The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI / MEK) announced this afternoon, Tuesday, November 10, 2020, that Coronavirus has taken the lives of more than 150,700 people in 465 cities across Iran. The death toll in various provinces include: 36,601 in Tehran, 11,270 in Khorasan Razavi, 8,710 in Khuzestan, 8,449 in Isfahan, 6,470 in Lorestan, 6,342 in Mazandaran, 5,482 in East Azerbaijan, 4,594 in West Azerbaijan, 4,160 in Alborz, 4,070 in Fars, 2,700 in Kurdistan, 2720 in Central, 2,560 in Yazd, 2,480 in Kerman, 2,330 in Semnan, 1,545 in Qazvin, and 1,265 in Ilam.

The Health Ministry Spokesperson announced a new record, putting the number of deaths and new infections in the past 24 hours at 462 and 11,780, respectively. These figures are unprecedented since the Coronavirus first spread to Iran.

Minoo Mohraz, a member of the National Coronavirus Task Force was quoted by IRNA as saying today, “The situation on the (COVID19) epidemic is extremely concerning. The solution is to announce a complete lockdown for at least one to two weeks, to reduce the spread somewhat… The cost the government is currently paying for treatment and managing the hospitals is horrific and very high. The government can pay part of this exorbitant cost to the people and ask them to stay home. We cannot put a price on the lives of the people. Lowering the cost of treatment and health is to the country’s benefit.”

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

November 11, 2020