An adviser to
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has died from the new
coronavirus, as other top officials in the country are confirmed to be infected, according to multiple reports on Monday.
The Iranian Health Ministry recorded 523 new cases
in the past 24 hours, bringing the country’s known total to 1,501. They
mark a 53 percent increase since the day before.
Mohammad Mirmohammadi, 71, was an Expediency Council member who
advised Khamenei and settled disputes between him and parliament.
COVID-19 has already infected Iran’s vice president and deputy health
minister.
His death comes after the government on Monday rejected help from
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who announced last week the U.S. was
concerned Iran may have covered up details on the spread of the virus.
“We neither count on such help nor are we ready to accept verbal
help,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said during a briefing
on Monday. He added the country has always been “suspicious” over
American intentions, and that the U.S. government was trying to weaken
Iranians’ spirits over the outbreak.
Iran’s mortality rate from the virus is roughly 5.5 percent, compared
to an overall fatality rate of about 2 percent in China. The difference
in rates has led people to suggest the number of infections in Iran is
higher than what the country has officially reported. The country’s
first case was reported less than two weeks ago.
The virus has killed at least 66 people in Iran, the highest death
toll outside of China. The majority of 1,150 cases throughout the Middle
East are linked back to the country.
Iran was preparing the possibility of testing “tens of thousands” of people following a spike of cases on Saturday.
The country has closed schools and universities due to COVID-19, but
religious Shiite shrines have remained open. Last week, Iranians were
captured licking some of the shrines in defiance of the coronavirus.
Most countries in the Middle East have limited or ceased travel to
the country. It has the 4th highest infected total outside of China,
South Korea, and Italy.
India on Monday announced two positive cases of COVID-19, according
to the country’s Ministry of Health. One person was found to be infected
in New Delhi and had a travel history from Italy. The other was from
the southern state of Telangana and had a travel history from Dubai.
Both patients are being closely monitored, the department
said.
“Depending on the global evolving scenario, travel restrictions could
be imposed as a precautionary measure,” said Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union
Minister of Health and Family Welfare.
Intelligence agencies had concerns over India’s lack of
countermeasures to the virus and said its dense population could fuel a
widespread outbreak, according to
Reuters.
https://www.foxnews.com/health/advisor-irans-supreme-leader-dies-from-coronavirus-1150-cases-middle-east-linked-to-country
