Iran Reports 2,336 COVID-19 Cases... Faces Stigma as a Global Spread Hub

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is rapidly increasing in Iran. As people who have visited Iran have been confirmed to have COVID-19, the country is acting as a gateway for international spread.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

According to local media on the 3rd, 835 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Iran, bringing the total cumulative confirmed cases to 2,336. The death toll also increased by 11, reaching 77.

Not only ordinary citizens but also high-ranking government officials are among the infected. Previously, Mohammad Mir-Mohammadi, a member of the Supreme National Coordination Council who served as an advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died from COVID-19 on this day. In addition, high-level officials such as Masoumeh Ebtekar, Vice President of Iran; Iraj Harirchi, Deputy Minister of Health; Mohava Zolnour, a member of parliament; and Mahmoud Sadeghi, a member of parliament, are infected with COVID-19. Iran confirmed that 23 members of the Iranian parliament are also among the confirmed cases.

Moreover, even Iranian media have expressed skepticism about the government’s official statistics, leading to speculation that the actual number of confirmed cases far exceeds the official announcement.

In particular, Iran is functioning as a vector for the spread of COVID-19.

According to CNN, many travelers who visited Iran have tested positive for COVID-19.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported among those with a history of visiting Iran in Afghanistan, Armenia, Australia, Bahrain, Belarus, Canada, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, New Zealand, Pakistan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Because of this, many countries have taken measures such as banning travel to Iran or closing borders to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

As confirmed cases surged, Iran began mobilizing militias and others to visit households one by one to identify patients. Saeed Namaki, Iran’s Minister of Health, stated, "300,000 teams composed of Basij militias and medical personnel will visit every household to find patients with suspected COVID-19 symptoms."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.