Iran experts urge govt. to beef up preventive measures against COVID-19

A group of Iranian academics and management experts have raised concerns over the widespread outbreak of a new coronavirus in the country, presenting the government with a list of emergency preventive measures that could be taken to stop further spread of the disease.

In a letter to President Hassan Rouhani, a number of university lecturers in the field of management studies as well as members of Iran’s Management Association underlined the need for urgent and decisive preventive measures to curb the virus called COVID-19.

They called on the Rouhani government to adopt a firm approach to the crisis by utilizing the country’s available and potential capacities, something that they said necessitates close cooperation among the three branches of the government, the Armed Forces, Broadcasting along with the private sector.

Pointing to the US sanctions against Iran and the shortage of medical supplies needed to treat the patients infected with COVID-19, the signatories to the letter called on the Foreign Ministry to take more serious actions to receive international assistance in the fight against the virus.

While maintaining the country’s foreign policy, they said, the ministry should pursue closer regional and global cooperation, especially with the European and Asian states that have effective status in the UN Security Council and other international bodies.

As part of the emergency measures, the government should provide the more vulnerable patients with their basic needs to help reduce the negative impacts of the virus, the letter further said.

The experts also called for the formation of a technical expert team to keep watch on online social media platform and counter the destructive moves by foreign-based media as well as the psychological effects of the crisis.

Worldwide, there have been more than 471,410 confirmed cases of the virus and 21,295 deaths. Europe has turned into the new epicenter of the virus, with Italy being the hardest hit country.

Ministry updates number of cases, deaths

Presenting its daily COVID-19 update on Wednesday, the Iranian Health Ministry said the number of deaths had increased by 154 to 2,234 since Wednesday.

The ministry also said the total number of confirmed infections had risen by 2,389 cases to reach 29,406 during the past 24 hours.

It added that 10,457 COVID-19 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospital around the country.