Iran’s President Urges Global Action to Tackle COVID-19

“Today the coronavirus has turned into a global problem and (therefore) all world nations and governments should stand together and help one another to tackle problem as soon as possible,” Rouhani said in a phone conversation with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Saturday.

Stressing the necessity for cooperation between the two countries in providing the health and medical needs for fighting the virus, he said, “It seems that no country would be immune from this disease and we all would need to exchange experiences and facilities to deal with this problem.”

He also said Iran’s Health Ministry has put in place special measures to contain the virus.

Rouhani further hoped for development of the ties between Tehran and Doha in all areas.

The Qatari Emir, for his part, wished health for all Iranians, expressing his country’s solidarity with the government and nation of Iran in the fight against the virus and sympathizing with the families of those who have died of the disease.

He also expressed confidence that the Islamic Republic would success in tackling the coronavirus epidemic given the expertise of the country’s physicians and capabilities of its medical officials.

The rapid spread of the coronavirus has fuelled fears of a pandemic, with six countries reporting their first cases this week as the World Health Organization raised its global risk alert to “very high”.  In China, it has killed more than 2,800 people and infected about 79,000 after it emerged late last year in the central city of Wuhan.

Iranian health officials said on Saturday that so far, the number of people with coronavirus disease has reached 593, of whom 43 people have lost their lives.

The health authorities also said that over the past days, 123 of the patients have recovered from the disease.

Medical staff in 20 provinces of Iran have been working tirelessly over the past week to contain the novel coronavirus.