Coronavirus could overwhelm hospitals and facilities in Iran warns top government official after record 113 deaths and 1,209 new cases in 24 hours brings total to 724 deaths and 13,938 infected
- The death toll in Iran has now risen to 724 in total with 13,338 confirmed cases
- A leading official has admitted the coronavirus could overwhelm Iran's hospitals
- The past 24 hours saw 113 people die of the virus, the most in a single day in Iran
- Meanwhile, several other nations have implemented travel bans to tackle virus
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
A leading Iranian official has admitted that hospitals in the country could be overwhelmed by the coronavirus after a record 113 deaths and 1,209 new cases were reported in just 24 hours.
It was the first time that more than 100 people had died from the virus in a single day in the Islamic nation.
In total, 724 people have died in Iran and there are 13,338 confirmed cases, though questions about the government's transparency suggest the real figure could be even higher.
Now, Ali Reza Zali, who is leading Iran's official campaign against the outbreak, has admitted Iran could run out of hospital beds.
He told the state-run IRNA news agency: 'If the trend continues, there will not be enough capacity.'
Iranian Firefighters disinfect streets in the capital Tehran in a bid to halt the spread of coronavirus
In total, 724 people have died of the coronavirus in Iran and there are 13,338 confirmed cases
Iran is believed to have around 110,000 hospital beds, including 30,000 in the capital, Tehran.
Authorities have pledged to set up mobile clinics if needed.
Zali also acknowledged that 'many' of those who have died from the COVID-19 illness caused by the virus were otherwise healthy, a rare admission by local authorities that the virus does not only prey on the sick and elderly.
Health Ministry figures show that while 55 per cent of fatalities were in their 60s, some 15 per cent were younger than 40.
For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.
For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. Most people recover in a matter of weeks.
In Iran, the virus has infected a number of senior officials, including the senior vice president, Cabinet ministers, members of parliament, Revolutionary Guard members and Health Ministry officials.
A woman wearing a protective face mask and plastic gloves crosses a street in Iran's capital Tehran
The usually bustling Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex in Tabriz, Iran is closed for two days as a precaution against coronavirus
Authorities have nevertheless been slow to adopt measures taken by other hard-hit countries. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday ruled out a general quarantine and said the government was working to keep the borders open.
Dalia Samhouri, a senior regional official with the World Health Organization, said both Iran and Egypt, two of the most populous countries in the Middle East, were likely under-reporting cases because of the nature of the virus, which can be spread by individuals who show no visible symptoms.
Egypt has reported 110 cases, including two fatalities.
'We can easily say that the current figures are an underestimation of the actual figures,' she said.
Iran has struggled to respond in part because of crippling sanctions imposed by the Trump administration after the U.S. withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal. The U.S. says it has offered humanitarian aid but that Iran has rejected it.
Worshippers, one wearing a mask, pray in front of the Dome of the Rock after Muslim clerics shut the doors of Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock
Clerics announced the holy site would be closed indefinitely due to concerns about the outbreak
The Al-Aqsa mosque in east Jerusalem is the third holiest site in Islam and has been closed because of the virus
Muslim authorities, meanwhile, announced that the Al-Aqsa mosque in east Jerusalem, the third holiest site in Islam, would be closed indefinitely due to concerns about the outbreak, with prayers continuing to be held on the sprawling esplanade outside.
Similar measures have been taken at the nearby Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray, where outdoor prayers continue but only 10 people at a time are permitted in enclosed areas, in keeping with measures taken by the Israeli government.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday proposed a six-month 'emergency government' to confront the coronavirus crisis and end a political deadlock after the country's third inconclusive election in less than a year.
With Netanyahu facing criminal charges in three corruption cases - his trial was supposed to start on Tuesday - political rivals quickly cast aspersions on his motives.
People wear face masks amid concerns of the spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus while shopping at a local market in Hanoi, Vietnam
Vietnam's health ministry on Sunday said all passengers coming from or through China, South Korea, the UK and Schengen countries will be compulsorily quarantined
The authorities of Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City also asked all forms of entertainment establishments including bars, karaoke bars and several tourist sites to close until the end of March
The right-wing Likud party leader made the offer to his main political challenger, former armed forces chief Benny Gantz of the centrist Blue and White party, as Israel's president was poised to choose a candidate this week to try to put together a governing coalition.
Neither Likud nor Blue and White won enough seats in parliament in the March 2 election to secure a ruling majority on their own, or with the support of potential coalition partners.
Netanyahu said on Twitter that a 'national emergency government ... led by me' would - unlike Israel's current caretaker administration - be able to pass a budget and make 'difficult decisions' in the face of an 'international and a national crisis'.
Several other nations have announced emergency containment measures as the killer virus grips the globe.
Vietnam's health ministry on Sunday said all passengers coming from or through China, South Korea, the UK and Schengen countries will be compulsorily quarantined and tested for coronavirus.
Army troopers use a thermal scanner to check the temperatures of people entering the metropolis at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Quezon city, Philippines
Thousands of Philippine police, backed by the army and coast guard, have started sealing the densely populated capital from most domestic travelers
The Philippines recorded three additional coronavirus deaths and 29 new cases yesterday
'The compulsory quarantine applies to arrivals from March 14,' the health ministry said in a statement. 'Those whose tests are positive will get immediate treatment while the rest will be quarantined for 14 days.'
The ministry in a separate statement said people, including foreigners, were required to wear face masks in public places.
The authorities of Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City also asked all forms of entertainment establishments including bars, karaoke bars and several tourist sites to close until the end of March.
The Philippines recorded three additional coronavirus deaths and 29 new cases, bringing the domestic tally of infections to 140, as authorities placed the entire capital Manila under 'community quarantine' for about a month beginning Sunday.
The latest deaths include an 86-year-old American male with travel history from the United States and South Korea, the Department of Health said in an advisory.
The other two are Filipinos. In total, 11 people have died from the virus in the country, according to the health department.
Domestic land, sea and air travel to and from Metro Manila is now restricted, while stringent measures to contain or prevent local transmission have been imposed in other parts of the Southeast Asian country.
Major shopping malls in Metro Manila, home to at least 12 million people, have heeded the authorities' call for a temporary partial closure to discourage people from leaving their homes, while a nighttime curfew will begin on Monday.
Supermarkets, pharmacies, banks, bookstores and hardware stores will be kept open, while restaurants may also operate but only for home deliveries, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said.
Brunei meanwhile said that its citizens and foreign residents in the country are barred from leaving the Southeast Asian nation due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The health ministry also said it had confirmed 10 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total tally to 50.
It has also been announced that Nike stores in the US, Canada, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand will be closed from March 16 to 27.
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2020-03-15 16:30:30Z
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