Rouhani warns 25m may have been infected by Covid in Iran
TEHRAN, July 18, 2020
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said 25 million Iranians have been infected with the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) and another 35 million were at risk of acquiring it, Reuters has reported.
The figures Rouhani cited in a televised speech were far higher than Saturday’s official toll of 271,606. Iran, with a population of more than 80 million, has reimposed restrictions in the capital and elsewhere.
His office said they were based on “an estimated scenario” from a report by the health ministry’s deputy minister of research, said Reuters.
“Our estimate is that until now 25 million Iranians have been infected with this virus and about 14,000 have lost their dear lives,” Rouhani said in the speech. “There is the possibility that between 30 and 35 million other people will be at risk.”
He said more than 200,000 people had been hospitalised and that the ministry expected that number to double in the coming months.The Health Ministry reported 188 deaths in the past 24 hours to take Iran’s total to 13,979.
