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Iran’s Armed Forces Enjoying Full Potential for Countering Coronavirus

TEHRAN (defapress)- Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami reassured the National Headquarters for Fighting Coronavirus that the Armed Forces enjoy a diverse area of capacities for countering the epidemic, and voiced readiness for setting up mobile hospitals, producing masks and test kits, beds and isolated ambulances.

News ID: 80361

Date: 29 February 2020 - 17:36

Addressing a session of the National Headquarters for Fighting Coronavirus late on Friday, Brigadier General Amir Hatami said that the Armed Forces are prepared to help the countrymen in any point across the country.

Test kits will be mass produced in the coming days, he said, noting that Defense Ministry has preparedness for establishing mobile hospitals which can be set up in any point in the shortest time.

Iranian Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour announced on Saturday that the number of people diagnosed with infection to COVID-19 virus has increased to 593, adding that 43 patients have also died so far.

“We have had 205 new cases of coronavirus-infected people since Friday noon, and 9 of them have passed away unfortunately,” Jahanpour said.

He added that the number of infected people has reached 593, noting that 123 patients have recovered.

Jahanpour also said that on 10 to 15 percent of the suspected cases are infected with coronavirus and the rest are diagnosed with other types of virus infection.

According to the latest reports, coronavirus has caused 2,924 deaths, while 85,212 people have been diagnosed with the illness across the globe.

The coronavirus is spreading in the Middle East, Europe and other parts of the world, as Brazil confirmed its first case in Latin America, while parts of China begin to lower their emergency response level as the number of new cases reported there continues to slow.

The Iranian health ministry had said on Tuesday that over 700,000 sanitation packs, including equipment to prevent coronavirus-infection have been transferred to Qom province, the first place where the COVID 19-infection was diagnosed, and are being distributed among people.

As a preventive measure, Iranian authorities have ordered closure of educational and cultural institutions across the country as of Monday.

Tehran’s municipality announced that all the city’s public places, including the metro trains and buses, are being disinfected at the end of the line every hour as part of attempts to contain the spread of the virus.

Head of Food and Drug Administration Mohammad Reza Shanehsaz also said that pharmacies will no longer be allowed to sell protective masks and that masks will be distributed among the population via government-run centers free of charge, with the priority given to virus-hit provinces.

The World Health Organization (WHO) stressed Iran’s high capabilities to prevent an epidemic of novel coronavirus infection.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry hosted a meeting on Wednesday to brief a WHO representative and the foreign ambassadors residing in Tehran on the latest preventive and therapeutic measures taken by the country to contain COVID-19, as the novel coronavirus is called.

In comments at the meeting, the WHO representative said Iran has the necessary fundamental capabilities to tackle the epidemic, and that Tehran’s performance has been as “successful and exemplary” in the region and the world.

The Iranian Health Ministry officials, who were also present at the meeting, reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to the international health regulations and standards.

Iran enjoys all the technical and specialized capabilities needed to battle the coronavirus, they stressed.

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