Iran's Rouhani accuses foreign media of 'over-exaggeration' amid COVID-19 crisis

As the sanction-stricken country continues to strike a balance between handling the pandemic due to highly contagious pathogen, and the sinking economy, Rouhani reportedly said that putting either health or economy over the other would be incorrect. Iranian President even 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. Rouhani reportedly said, "Someone at some corner says something to the foreign media and they exaggerate the issue."

Even though the coronavirus cases in Iran have continued to spike, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on April 5 that the government will eventually ease some of the restrictions imposed on the country to stem the spread of COVID-19. The state media reported the Iranian government’s plan to allow low-risk businesses including printing houses, clothes stores, book shops to resume activities on April 11 as the country’s death toll due to coronavirus has spiked to 3,603 and infection count remains 58,226.

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Rouhani reportedly said that he wants the protocols issued by the country’s Ministry of Health to be followed without carelessness. The reopening of low-risk businesses in the Iranian capital, Tehran, will be allowed later, on April 18. This declaration by the Iranian President came as the country recorded over 2,480 cases in just 24 hours with 151 deaths. Rouhani also claimed that there are no disagreements between the Ministry of Health and mInistry of Industry, Mine and Trade over the precautionary measures that the country takes to combat the pandemic. 

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Coronavirus outbreak

After originating from China’s “wet markets”, the coronavirus has now claimed over 65,841 lives worldwide as of April 5. According to the tally by international news agency, the pandemic has now spread to 206 countries and has infected at least 1,218,124 people. Out of the total infections, 253,818 have been recovered but the easily spread virus is continuing to disrupt many lives. Major cities have been put under lockdown in almost all countries and the economy is struggling. 

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(Image Source: AP)