Alireza Zali, head of the National Coronavirus Combat Taskforce (NCCT) in Tehran: We anticipate experiencing the new Coronavirus peak earlier than fall. With the reopening of schools and learning centers and the increase in traffic in Tehran, there is a possibility of the acceleration of the transmission of the Coronavirus. (Entekhab daily, August 31)
- Head of Khomeini Hospital in Tehran: This time (during the second Coronavirus outbreak), our patients were more ill, and the death rate was higher. (State TV, August 31)
- Qom University of Medical Sciences: Seven Coronavirus patients died in the past 24 hours. There are 350 hospitalized patients, 68 of whom are in critical condition. (Javan daily, August 31)
- Mostafa Moeen, Chairman of the regime’s Supreme Medical Council: Lack of necessary protective facilities, late diagnosis, or concealment of Coronavirus transfer to the country was the cause of a higher number of deaths in Iran’s medical community versus the global average … The situation is like embers beneath the ashes. (Shargh daily, September 1)
The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) announced on September 1, 2020, that the Coronavirus death toll in 410 cities across Iran had passed 97,900. The number of victims in Tehran is 23,755, Khorasan Razavi 6,944, Khuzestan 6,547, Mazandaran 4,756, Isfahan 4,400, Lorestan 4,276, Gilan 4,057, East Azerbaijan 2,862, West Azerbaijan 2,664, Hamedan 2,522, Kerman 1,563, Central Province 1,273, Zanjan 929, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari 687, and South Khorasan 532.
Mostafa Moeen, Chairman of the regime’s Supreme Medical Council and former Minister of Science was quoted by Sharqh daily on September 1, said, “One of the reasons that the death toll in the medical community is higher than the global average was the lack of basic facilities to protect the health care staff, which shows the lack of a comprehensive plan, lack of prioritizing the distribution of safety resources and equipment in the face of viral and microbial accidents, disasters and epidemics. Late detection or concealment of the transmission of Coronavirus infection to the country due to various considerations … is another important failure that is worth remembering…” Criticizing Rouhani’s policies, he added: “The pervasive Coronavirus crisis has so far been a cover for (not responding to) society’s demands, but this situation will not continue in the medium or long term. The dangers of the post-Coronavirus era will show themselves not only in the health sector but also in other social, cultural, and economic sectors. This situation is like embers beneath the ashes and requires more vigilance on the part of the officials to prevent dangerous events in the future.”
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)
September 1, 2020
