Iran Health Ministry Says Announcing Real Figures of Coronavirus Infection, Deaths

Iranian medical staff at Qom's Forqani Hospital fighting against Coronavirus / Photo by Hessaminejad

The Ministry’s spokesperson Kianoush Jahanpour said the public should rest assured that the real number of deaths are being announced.

“The Health Ministry of the Islamic Republic of Iran has, without any political consideration, and in a straightforward and transparent manner, announced the exact number of those who have been infected with this virus or who have died due to the infection as soon as the ministry has found out about the exact figures,” said Jahanpour, the head of the Public Relations and Information Dissemination Office of the ministry.

“This is while we have reliable information suggesting many countries, including developed ones, have systematically concealed the reality when it comes to announcing the figures pertaining to the number of those infected with the virus or those who have died for that matter,” said Jahanpour.

“Today, we are seeing unreal and exaggerated statistics being announced by media outlets which not only do nothing for the good of the society, but also have a notorious record of launching propaganda warfare and being aligned with the United States’ ‘maximum pressure’ policy against the Iranian nation,” he noted.

“Based on its legal and moral duty vis-à-vis the people, this ministry will, in accordance with precise results presented by official laboratories across the nation, and without paying attention to media chantage, continue to disseminate information in an honest and transparent manner,” he said.

The remarks came after the BBC claimed at least 210 people have lost their lives in Iran due to coronavirus infection.
“At least 210 people in Iran have died as a result of the new coronavirus disease, sources in the country’s health system have told BBC Persian,” the BBC wrote on its website.
The alleged figure is much higher than the official figure announced by the Iranian Health Ministry, which is 34 deaths and 388 infections.

The BBC only mentioned “sources in the country’s health system” as the source for his claim, without naming any reliable and official source of information for its claim.