A Catastrophe Unfolding in Iran

by Melina Delkic at the NY Times

[the NY Times requires a subscription which I do not have, so copying this from an email I received]

An adviser to Iran's supreme leader is among the 66 people in the country who have died from the coronavirus, state media reported on Monday,

It was unclear whether the adviser, Mohammad Mirmohammadi, 71, had come into contact with the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 80.  Even so, it heightened an already chaotic outbreak and raised concerns that vulnerable parts of the Middle East would be hit hard.  The government confirmed at least 1,501 infections, but public health officials expressed concern that the official numbers were unreliable.

At least seven other prominent officials have also contracted the virus, including one who recently sat near President Hassan Rouhani at a cabinet meeting.

"There is a real sense of panic and anxiety. People are barricading themselves in their homes'' says Farnaz Fassihi, a Times reporter who has been covering Iran.  ''The feeling of uncertainty is exacerbated by the public's lack of trust in the information provided by the government.  From what we hear, it is a catastrophe unfolding.''