The death toll in Iran in the spring of 2019 was 19,000 more than in the spring of last year.
Although the Islamic Republic's authorities have announced the number of coronavirus deaths in Iran to be around 11,000, the number of deaths registered by the Civil Registration Organization in the spring quarter of 2020 is around 19,000 more than the same period last year.
Statistics recorded in Iran's civil registration system show that in the first quarter of this year, a total of 110,384 people died from various causes.
This number represents an increase of about 19,000 people compared to last spring, and about 20,000 people compared to the spring of two years ago.
However, the Iranian Ministry of Health has reported that the number of coronavirus deaths in the first quarter of this year was about 9,000.
Iranian health and civil registration authorities have not provided an explanation for the increase in the death rate this year compared to the statistics of the last two years.
The daily coronavirus statistics in Iran are being announced while serious doubts have been expressed about their accuracy, and some observers believe that, at least in terms of the number of deaths, there is a possibility that their number is several times higher than the official statistics.
Iranian Ministry of Health officials have stopped announcing disaggregated statistics for several months without any reason.
It is not clear what caused the nearly doubling of deaths this spring. However, this increase in deaths has occurred in all provinces of Iran, and the rate is higher in some provinces where the coronavirus outbreak has been more widespread.
Among the provinces where the number of deaths has increased significantly this spring compared to previous years are Tehran, Gilan, Mazandaran, East Azerbaijan, Isfahan, Alborz, Khuzestan, and Khorasan.
Officials in the Islamic Republic say the first case of coronavirus in Iran was identified on February 20, 2020. However, a large number of experts and even some government officials have said that the announcement of the arrival of coronavirus in the country was made with an expedient delay.
According to official statistics from the Islamic Republic, 10,670 people have died from coronavirus so far, and the total number of infected patients has reached 225,205.
In recent weeks, the government's order to lift restrictions and reopen public places has been met with a wave of protests.
However, following a sharp increase in daily deaths, President Hassan Rouhani finally announced on July 28 that wearing masks in public places would be mandatory starting next week.
Source: Radio Farda
