Iran International has acquired documents from inside Iran’s Ministry of Health that show at least 16 provinces in Iran are still in the coronavirus crisis red zone. The documents also show that the ministry’s unpublished stats indicated over 104000 positive coronavirus tests. The ministry’s official report claims there are 41000 cases.

According to these documents, most cases of COVID-19 deaths have been reported in provinces of Tehran, Qom, Khorasan Razavi, Mazandaran, Gilan, and Isfahan. Meanwhile, some medical centers are refusing to test patients for coronavirus.

Previously, several members of parliament and deans of medical universities had also called in to question the validity of the official reports.

Based on the reports sent to Iran International from inside the Ministry of Health, in the 16 provinces in the coronavirus red zone, Alborz, East Azarbaijan, and Qazvin have the highest number of dead and infected.

One reliable source has told Iran International that for several weeks in February, only the negative results were being announced by the Pasteur Center in Tehran.

The Ministry officials refuse to announce the test results of each province separately. On Monday, a special task force was formed to punish any unapproved stats being released by the media or in cyberspace.