- While the minimum health protocols and social distancing in the University Entrance Exams were not observed, Rouhani claimed that holding the Entrance Exams is a unique experience in the world and “as we did not allow Coronavirus outbreak to close the businesses, we did not allow the entrance exam and Muharram mourning to be shut down.”
- Isfahan University of Medical Sciences vice president: Three pregnant mothers lost their lives, and seven expectant mothers are no longer in good health. Apart from Kashan, and Aran va Bidgol, 500 new patients are identified in the Province daily. In the fall, the Coronavirus infections will increase by 3,000. In these circumstances, the reopening of schools has no justification. I will not send my child to school. (Mehr news agency, August 19)
- Alireza Zali, head of the National Coronavirus Combat Taskforce (NCCT), in Tehran: Tehran is dangerous and red, restrictions will be extended for next week. In the past 24 hours, 146 patients were admitted to ICUs. (Fars News Agency, August 20)
- President of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences: We will have the next Coronavirus outbreak. Let’s take the alarm for the autumn Coronavirus outbreak seriously. (ISNA August 20)
The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) announced on Thursday, August 20, 2020, that the Coronavirus fatalities in 394 cities across Iran are, unfortunately, more than 91,700. The number of victims in Tehran is 22,385, Khorasan Razavi 6,556, Mazandaran 4,358, Isfahan 4,046, Gilan 3,876, Golestan 2,680, Kerman 1,446, North Khorasan 1,459, Central Province 1,166, Bushehr 1,120, Semnan 1,163, Zanjan 859, and Qazvin 766.
While eye-witnesses reports from the first two days of the University Entrance Exam show that the regime has failed to provide the minimum requirements for observing the health protocols and physical distancing and that the threat of an outbreak is very serious, today, at the NCCT session, Rouhani claimed, “Offering such a unique experience in the world, can, first and foremost, guarantee the students and their families and then society’s health … As we did not allow the Coronavirus to close down our businesses, postpone the entrance exams and prevent holding the Muharram mourning ceremonies, through observing “strict health guidelines ensuring and maintaining the students’ health, we must not allow disruption in the students’ education process in the country.”
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)
August 20, 2020
