Rouhani: Progress made in curbing coronavirus outbreak

March 01, 2020 - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Iran has made progress in bringing the coronavirus outbreak under full control as the medical staff in the country has been working hard to contain the outbreak.

President Rouhani made the remarks in a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Saturday, according the president’s official website.

Rouhani expressed Tehran’s readiness for the immediate implementation of joint health protocols signed between the two countries in an effort to contain the novel coronavirus epidemic which has claimed the lives of more than 2,900 people worldwide.

Rouhani also appreciated the Russian government and Health Ministry for expressing their readiness to help Iran eradicate the coronavirus outbreak which has killed at least 54 people in Iran.

On Sunday, Iran's Health Ministry raised the nationwide death toll from the new coronavirus to 54 as the number of infected cases jumped overnight to 978 people.

The ministry's spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said new cases were confirmed in a number of cities. The spread of the virus has forced the government to call on people to stay at home.

The new figures represent 11 more deaths than reported on Saturday and a whopping 385 new cases of infections. The new numbers, however, bring down the percentage of deaths to infections from 20% to around 5.5%. Still, that is higher than other countries, suggesting the number of infections may also be higher.

Jahanpour said in his daily briefing that the number of cases is "still inclining" across Iran and called on Iranians to avoid any unnecessary trips and to stay at home.

Growing number of discharged patients

 He said according to the World Health Organization, the Islamic Republic ranks second in the world in terms of the number of patients who have recovered from the coronavirus.

“Iran currently ranks second in the world in the treatment of virus, known as COVID-19, with definitive treatment and recovery of at least 123 patients, higher than Singapore, Italy, Japan and South Korea,” he twitted.

Also on Sunday, Iran's state broadcaster said all flights to the city of Rasht, the capital of northern Gilan Province, had been suspended. It gave no reasons why. The Caspian Sea littoral province has some of Iran's highest number of infections after the capital, Tehran, and the city of Qom, the epicenter of the virus outbreak in the country.

Medical staffs in 20 provinces of Iran have been working tirelessly over the past week to contain the novel coronavirus.

Following the spread of coronavirus, the Iranian government ordered the shutting down of schools until Tuesday and extended the closure of universities and a ban on concerts and sports events for a week.

The illness has infected several government officials in Iran, including one of its vice presidents and a senior Health Ministry official.

The virus has infected more than 86,000 people worldwide and caused more than 2,900 deaths since emerging in China. Iran has the world’s highest death toll outside China.

Number of deaths in China

 Mainland China, in the meantime, reported 573 new confirmed coronavirus cases on February 29, up from 427 the previous day, the country's health authority said on Sunday.

The number of deaths stood at 35, down from 47 the previous day, bringing the total death toll in mainland China to 2,870.

Of the deaths, 34 were in Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak.

New cases in other countries 

 Thailand became the latest country to report its first death from coronavirus as the outbreak continues to spread around the world.

On Saturday, several European countries announced new cases. Qatar became the latest Middle Eastern country to report its first case.

South Korea, which is grappling with the largest outbreak of the virus outside China, has urged citizens to stay indoors, warning of a "critical moment" in the spread of the infection.

South Korean authorities reported 210 new cases on Sunday.

Earlier on Sunday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 376 cases and one death linked to the virus.

The country's total number of infections stands at 3,736.

Meanwhile, a 45-day-old baby has become the youngest person to be infected with the virus, The Korea Times reported on Sunday.

The baby boy tested positive for coronavirus after his parents had contracted the virus.

Baby and mother, both in self-quarantine, are in good condition according to officials.

Churches were closed in South Korea on Sunday, many holding services online instead, according to Reuters.

Australia also said on Sunday that it had confirmed an additional case of the coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 26.

Armenia's prime minister said on Sunday the central Asian nation had recorded its first case of the coronavirus.

Source: http://www.iran-daily.com/News/266360.html