Health Ministry Deputy: The Main Disaster Has Occurred in Tehran

Iraj Harirchi, Deputy Minister of Health, says that more than one-fifth of daily deaths in Iran are related to coronavirus patients. He described the movement of processions during the month of Muharram as impossible and said we are awaiting the opinion of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic in this regard.

The Deputy Minister of Health of Iran, in an evening program on national radio and television, called the joining of blue and white provinces to red provinces a “disaster” and called Tehran the “main disaster.” Harirchi said the capital ranks third in terms of high statistics of coronavirus cases and deaths.

He considered observing the effects of mortality in people’s behavior to require a period of four to six weeks, and counted only changes in people’s behavior over the past three weeks as increased use of masks: “The rate of mask usage should be 80 to 95 percent, but currently it is between 50 and 60 percent.”

On Tuesday, the 7th of Mordad, the official daily death toll from coronavirus in Iran reached its highest level, and with the death of 235 people in one day, the total number of victims of the disease reached 16,273. Sima Lari, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, announced that 15 provinces are in red condition and 11 provinces are in warning condition.

The Deputy Minister of Health, referring to this figure, told the news section of Channel One: “The total daily deaths throughout Iran is one thousand people, and 235 means close to 25 percent and more than one-fifth of deaths. People should take this warning seriously and also be careful about children, youth, and their social behaviors.”

He recalled that throughout Iran only 5 provinces are not in red condition and warned that out of the country’s 82 million population, 72.5 million people live in red zones.

Harirchi, meanwhile, denied any sharp or explosive increase in coronavirus-related deaths in Iran and regarding the cancellation of the traffic management plan said: “Most restrictions, as they have a direct impact on people’s livelihoods, our government also deals with caution like other governments. But if the statistics of deaths and hospitalizations increase, the government will be forced to implement more closures.”

He warned that an increase in hospitalization cases would mean an increase in death statistics within two weeks: “We have close to four thousand hospitalizations daily in total, and this shows that most provinces have turned red.”

Coronavirus and Muharram Ceremonies

The Deputy Minister of Health, regarding Muharram mourning ceremonies and processions, referred to the difficulty of maintaining social distancing in gatherings and said: “This gathering is absolutely not possible this year. The processions being outdoors and gatherings with closed spaces will not be possible. Harirchi added that we must await the opinion of Ayatollah Khamenei in this regard.

Hassan Rouhani a few days earlier called the duality of “mourning and health” incorrect and said that ceremonies should be held even in red cities with “grandeur and splendor.” This emphasis was accompanied by considerable criticism and was seen as giving in to hardline and extremist forces and gambling with people’s lives. However, the custodian of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza has praised this position.

The National Coronavirus Combat Headquarters’ Media Committee, in its latest announcement, published health protocols for Muharram ceremonies and considered mourning programs permissible only in closed and approved environments. This committee asked people, officials of religious associations, and speakers to observe the regulations. Among the prohibited items are serving and distributing sherbet and votive offerings in hussainiyyas and gatherings.