Confirmation of Gilani nurse's death from coronavirus delayed by a week; world concerned about Iranian authorities' secrecy

The news that a young nurse who died at Lahijan Hospital tested positive for coronavirus was finally announced after a week's delay, and of course, this delay has sparked much criticism.

According to ILNA news agency, the Eastern Gilan Nursing System Organization confirmed on Monday, March 3, that the death of Narjes Khanalizadeh, a nurse at Lahijan Hospital, was due to COVID-19. While the news of the young nurse's death was widely reported on social media last week, official officials at the time denied reports that she died from COVID-19.

Nurses say the Ministry of Health has not provided them with the necessary equipment.

Now, the confirmation of the death of nurse Gilani due to the novel coronavirus has also been reflected in cyberspace, with a week's delay.

For example, a user named Babak wrote on Twitter: "Due to the lack of kits, the country's nurse's coronavirus test was declared positive 7 days after her death. Then the country's official developed a fever at 8 in the morning, tested positive at 10, was quarantined at noon, and tweeted about her health at night."

In recent days, several Iranian government officials have announced that they have contracted the coronavirus. The Mehr news agency reported that at least 20 members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly have tested positive for the coronavirus. The news agency wrote on Sunday, March 1, that Masoumeh Aghapour Alamshahi, a representative of Shabestar County, Qasem Mirzaei Neko, a representative of Damavand, and one of the representatives of Tabriz, Azarshahr, and Osku in the parliament have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Previously, Mahmoud Sadeghi and Mojtaba Zolnouri were among the representatives whose test results were announced positive.

It was previously reported that Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, a prominent conservative figure, had also tested positive for the virus. Farid Haddad Adel, a relative of Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader, also tested positive. People say that while officials have easy access to coronavirus tests, this is not possible for them or the nurses on the front lines of the fight against the virus.

Public opinion in Iran is concerned about the Iranian authorities' secrecy. The first death from coronavirus was reported on March 1, even though officials had previously denied any cases of coronavirus in Iran.

In recent days, Reuters published unofficial statistics that more than 210 people in Iran have died from the coronavirus, while official statistics have so far confirmed the deaths of 66 people.

Mike Pompeo also said on Friday, March 29, in a meeting of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, considering the history of concealment by Islamic Republic officials, that the Iranian regime is reluctant to provide information about the spread of the coronavirus, and I am concerned that they may have hidden important information.

This is the second time that the US Secretary of State has expressed concern about possible cover-up by Iranian officials. Mike Pompeo warned on Tuesday that the US is concerned about the Islamic Republic's authorities' cover-up of the coronavirus outbreak.

The United States announced on Thursday that it has granted waivers from sanctions on Iran, allowing Iran's central bank to make financial transfers to send certain humanitarian services.

Source: Voice of America