Iran counts 600 more deaths after people drink pure alcohol to 'cure' Coronavirus

Engulfed by the health crisis, over 600 people died in Iran after consuming high-concentrated alcohol, which they misbelieved as a cure for Coronavirus. Iran on Thursday noon recorded 64,586 cases of COVID-19, including 3,993 deaths. 

Apart from a monumental death toll, thousands of Iranians were left poisoned after guzzling methanol, state media reported. Iran's news agency Tasnim quoted an Iranian judiciary saying that over 3,000 people were affected. The ambigious nature of the novel Coronavirus sparked the wild rumour, which appended to the existing health crisis in the country. The incident occurred despite alcohol being banned in the Islamic Republic of Iran. 

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As the sanction-stricken country continues to strike a balance between the pandemic, and its sinking economy, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani accused the foreign media of ‘over-exaggerating’ situations and laid emphasis on the fact that resuming of certain industrial activities does not imply that citizens would not adhere to the rules of social distancing and advised others to remain at home. 

The Iranian president earlier this week said that low-risk business activities in the country would resume from April 11, despite the threat of Coronavirus. Without specifying the 'low-risk economic activities', Rouhani said that two-thirds of Iranian would return to work on Saturday. Coronavirus cases in the country saw a sudden surged in February, affecting high-level government officials and parliamentarians among others. 

Iran claims 'virus under control' 

Despite a heavy death toll, Iran's health officials on Tuesday claimed that they are 'winning' the battle to contain Coronavirus. Health Minister Saeed Namaki said the country has managed to bring the outbreak under control. Iran's Parliament convened on Tuesday for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak forced its doors to close, as the country reported a drop in new infections for the seventh straight day. More than two-thirds of the legislature's 290 members gathered in the absence of speaker and veteran politician Ali Larijani, who tested positive for COVID-19 last week. 

"Today we have reined this scary dragon in," he said. Namaki added that Iran is "getting closer to containing" it in some of its provinces. Iran is battling the most severe coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.

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