(Tehran) The Iranian supreme guide described the resurgence of the COVID pandemic on Sunday as "truly tragic" - 19 in Iran and called on the whole country to respect health regulations in order to stem the progression of the disease.
France Media Agency
The Islamic Republic, which announced the first cases of contamination in February on its soil, is by far the country most affected by the pandemic of new coronavirus in the Near and Middle East.
"Let everyone play their role in the best way to break the chain of transmission in the short term and save the country," said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a videoconference meeting with the deputies, according to elements of his speech transmitted by his office.
This is the guide's first speech to the deputies of the new Parliament, who took office in late May, dominated by conservatives and ultra-conservatives and born out of the legislative elections in February.
According to his official website, Mr. Khamenei praised the body of the nursing staff for "his sacrifices" and criticized "some people [qui] do not even do something as simple as wearing mask "to prevent the virus from spreading, saying they were" ashamed "of such behavior.
Mr. Khamenei's remarks come at a time when the COVID epidemic - 19 seems to have progressed again since the beginning of May in Iran.
According to official figures transmitted on Sunday, 194 additional deaths caused by illness and 2186 new cases of contamination have been identified in recent 24 hours.
The Ministry of Health announced Thursday a new mortality record, with 221 died of the virus in one day.
In total, 257 303 cases of infection have been recorded in the country, of which 12 829 Death, said Sunday Sima Sadat Lari, spokesman for the Ministry of Health, during a televised press briefing.
"Harmful gatherings"
To combat the spread of the epidemic, the authorities first canceled all rallies and closed non-essential schools and businesses in March, before gradually lifting the restrictions from April, in an attempt to revive the country's economy, suffocated by American sanctions.
On Saturday, President Hassan Rohani insisted that certain restrictions were still in place such as the ban on private or public gatherings.
"Gatherings, gatherings, whether funerals, weddings, parties, seminars or festivals, are all harmful" to public health, said Mr. Rohani, then authorities have said on several occasions that there has been a clear spread of the disease in areas where these bans have been defied.
On Sunday, Ayatollah Khamenei reminded MPs that "Parliament has the right to question [...], but it is not allowed to insult or slander government officials. "
This update comes after a rowdy Parliament session on July 5, where deputies repeatedly interrupted the head of diplomacy, Mohammad Javad Zarif.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE PRESIDENCY VIA AFP
Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammad Javad Zarif
Several deputies called Mr. Zarif a "liar", who concluded in 2015 at Vienna an international agreement on the Iranian nuclear, unilaterally denounced in 2018 by the American president Donald Trump and scorned by the Iranian ultraconservatives .
