Rouhani Hails Iran Armed Forces’ Contributions to Coronavirus Fight

By Staff, Agencies

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani praised the efforts of the Armed Forces to contribute to the country’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Presidential Information Center, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri had presented a report to Rouhani on the measures of the Imam Reza health and treatment base in the fight against COVID-19 disease.

In response to the report, Rouhani wrote, "We thank all the Armed Forces for their actions in this critical situation."

Since emerging in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, the new coronavirus, which can cause potentially fatal respiratory malfunction, has claimed more than 44,000 lives worldwide.

In Iran, the flu-like virus has so far infected 47,593 people and killed 3,036 others, with 2,988 cases and 138 more deaths recorded over the past 24 hours, according to the latest updates released by the Iranian Health Ministry.

Some 15,473 patients have also recovered from the virus.

Iran has taken numerous steps to stem the spread of the disease, including shutting down schools and universities and canceling cultural and religious gatherings. It has been also constantly disinfecting and sanitizing public places.

The Imam Reza base was launched after Leader of the Islamic Revolution His Eminence Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei on March 12 issued an edict to General Baqeri, emphasizing the need for the establishment of a “health and treatment base” to prevent further spread of the ongoing coronavirus epidemic in the country.

“While commending the services that the Armed Forces have so far provided to the dear people [of Iran], and while emphasizing the need for those services to further expand and continue, it is necessary that these services be organized in the form of a health and treatment base,” Imam Khamenei wrote in his edict.

“In addition to establishing such treatment facilities as field hospitals and infirmaries, and so forth, you must focus on prevention of further spread of this disease through necessary means as well.”

Three days after Imam Khamenei’s edict, the Iranian Army started drills to prevent and monitor the outbreak of the new coronavirus.

Last month, Iran’s security forces also began to clear shops, streets and roads nationwide as part of measures to contain the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, said General Baqeri.