TEHRAN/CODOGNO: Iran on Saturday ordered the closure of schools, universities and cultural centres after a coronavirus outbreak that has killed five people in the Islamic republic — the most outside the Far East.

The moves came as Iranian authorities reported one more death among 10 new cases of the virus.

Since it emerged in December, the new coronavirus has killed 2,345 people in China, the epicentre of the epidemic, and 17 elsewhere in the world.

The virus outbreak in Iran first surfaced on Wednesday, when authorities said it claimed the lives of two elderly people in Qom.

They were the first confirmed deaths from the disease in the Middle East.

Second death in Italy sparks fears, lockdowns

“We have 10 new confirmed cases of the virus,” Iran’s health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour told state television on Saturday.

“One of the new cases has unfortunately passed away,” he added, noting that eight of them had been hospitalised in Qom and two in Tehran, without specifying where the death occurred.

The latest cases take to 28 the total number of confirmed infections in Iran.

Two deaths from the new coronavirus sparked fears throughout northern Italy on Saturday, as towns shuttered shops and schools to try to halt a rise in new infections.

Italy on Friday became the first country in Europe to report the death of one of its own nationals from the virus, triggering a lockdown in about a dozen towns.

A 77-year-old woman died on Saturday near the small town of Codogno in Lombardy in the north, a day after a 78-year-old retired bricklayer succumbed to the virus in the neighbouring region of Veneto.

In Lombardy, health officials confirmed 39 cases of the virus that first emerged in China, with another 12 in Veneto.

Based on official figures, nearly 18 percent of those infected with the new coronavirus in Iran have died, compared with little more than three percent in China.

As a “preventive measure”, authorities ordered the closure of schools, universities and other educational centres in Qom and the nearby city of Arak from Sunday, state television reported.

The government also announced that “all art and cinema events in halls across the country have been cancelled until the end of the week” in order to stop infections.

The World Health Organisation has expressed concern over the speed at which virus has spread in Iran, as well as it being exported from the Islamic republic to other countries including Lebanon.

“The concern is... that we have seen an increase in cases, a very rapid increase in a matter of a few days,” said Sylvie Briand, director of the WHO’s global infectious hazard preparedness department.

“We are just wondering about also the potential of more exported cases in the coming days,” she added.

The Iranian outbreak emerged in the lead-up to a parliamentary election on Friday.

State media said the disease had failed to dampen “the revolutionary zeal of Qom’s people” to turn out to vote.

Iranians have been snapping up surgical face masks in a bid to avoid catching the virus.

Online retailer Digikala — Iran’s equivalent of Amazon — said on Friday that it had sold 75,000 masks within 36 hours.

It said it was not claiming a commission on its mask sales, amid concerns that demand was causing prices to skyrocket on the black market.

‘Epidemic has started’ “We stand against the unusual price increase,” Digikala tweeted.

“We stand alongside our dear suppliers and by providing fresh supplies, we hope we can meet a part of the country’s demand.” The health ministry said tests had been carried out on 785 suspected coronavirus cases since the outbreak began.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2020