With the spread of coronavirus to at least eight provinces in Iran, reliable sources have informed Iran International that the number of coronavirus deaths in the country has reached 72. Meanwhile, the official number announced by the government is 15.

Official reports of the Health Ministry say 95 people have been identified with coronavirus on Tuesday, and the number of deaths has been declared at 15.

Although the representative of Qom city in the parliament previously criticized the Ministry of Health for downplaying the crisis and said at least 50 have died in Qom alone, the Health Ministry officials continue to deny the high death count.

Qom city, the first site of the outbreak in Iran, is still not quarantined and crowded religious ceremonies in holy shrines are still held as usual due to the opposition of the head of IRGC Intelligence, Hossein Taeb, with the quarantine, calling Qom city the “honor of Islam”.

Despite the canceling of schools and many other cultural, educational and art institutes and events, religious ceremonies continue in Qom city despite the resolution passed by the security council of the province.

At least six countries in the region have limited or canceled flights from and to Iran, including Afghanistan, Turkey, Iraq, Armenia, Kuwait, and Oman.

The hospitals in Qom and other cities have been crippled with the shortage of test kits and supplies including masks and disinfectant gels.

According to Iran International’s sources, doctors and nurses who have refused to go to work have been warned that they must explain their absence.