Coronavirus in Khuzestan; Interior Minister declares special situation
As the coronavirus crisis continues in Khuzestan Province, the Minister of Interior declared a special situation and called for all Iranian government agencies to "direct their opportunities, resources, and facilities toward this province."
Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said on Tuesday, March 3, referring to the declaration of a red status in Khuzestan Province, that "coronavirus cases have decreased" in all provinces except Khuzestan.
The Iranian government official says that the borders of Khuzestan province are currently closed and only Iranians who had traveled to Iraq can return there, and they will also be tested for coronavirus.
Khuzestan has witnessed a surge in coronavirus cases in recent days, with health officials in the province reporting a shortage of nurses and beds to treat patients. This situation ultimately led to the declaration of a state of emergency in Khuzestan province on Tuesday.
In his remarks on Tuesday, Mr. Rahmani Fazli also emphasized, referring to the travel ban in Khuzestan Province, that this situation will continue for another two weeks.
He stated: "Our effort is to return the situation to normal in Khuzestan and we are seeking to change the trend. 12,500 tests are being conducted daily by the Ministry of Health, and the armed forces have also announced their readiness to provide capacities and facilities."
According to a report by Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, the number of coronavirus tests conducted on residents of Khuzestan on Tuesday has set a new record, with 14,000 tests conducted on people suspected of having coronavirus in the past 24 hours.
The spokesperson for the Khuzestan Province Coronavirus Management Headquarters also provided statistics on the spread of the coronavirus in the province, saying that each patient infected with the coronavirus in the province infects 123 other people, and that the disease will not decline in Khuzestan until this number drops below 100.
Of the cities in Khuzestan, 12 are currently in red status, including Ahvaz, Karun, Shushtar, Shadegan, Khorramshahr, Dezful, Susangerd, Abadan, Mahshahr, Ramhormoz, Dasht-Azadegan, and Hoveyzeh.
According to official Iranian statistics, 1,648,174 people have been confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus across the country, and the number of victims of the virus has reached 60,267.
However, the aforementioned statistics are subject to doubt, and in addition to experts, some other institutions in Iran believe that the actual number of coronavirus infections and victims is three to four times the official figures.
Source: Radio Farda
