Iran rocked by ‘rapid’ coronavirus outbreak
- Eight people in Iran been reported dead from a new coronavirus that emerged in China
- The WHO has expressed concern over the speed at which the virus has spread in Iran and its neighbours
Iran has taken drastic measures to contain the new coronavirus outbreak, ordering the closure of schools, universities and cultural centres across 14 provinces from Sunday following eight deaths in the Islamic Republic – the most outside East Asia and the first in the Middle East.
Iran’s outbreak surfaced on Wednesday and has quickly worsened with 43 cases confirmed.
“The concern is … that we have seen … a very rapid increase (in Iran) in a matter of a few days,” said Sylvie Briand, director of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) global infectious hazard preparedness department.
Iran’s government also ordered all “art and cinema events” nationwide cancelled until the end of the coming week.
Neighbouring Iraq on Thursday clamped down on travel to and from Iran, and flag carrier Kuwait Airways has suspended flights to the country. Pakistan and Turkey also closed their borders with the neighbouring country.
Although Egypt is the only African country with a confirmed case of Covid-19 – the name given to the disease caused by the virus – the WHO warned that the continent’s health systems were ill-equipped to cope with a potential major outbreak and urged more cooperation among the African Union.
