Iran curtails fire fest; toll near 1k FIRST DEATH IN PAKISTAN, CASES SURGE TO 183

Tehran, March 17: Iran said 135 new Covid-19 deaths took the country’s overall toll to nearly 1,000 Tuesday, as it curtailed celebrations for a fire festival in a bid to contain the disease. The Covid-19 outbreak in the Islamic Republic is one of the deadliest outside China, where the illness originated.

The latest deaths, announced by health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour in a televised news conference, take the total death toll in Iran to 988. Since it announced its first two deaths in the holy Shiite city of Qom last month, Iran has taken a series of steps to contain the virus. However, it has yet to impose any lockdowns and the outbreak has spread to all 31 of the country’s provinces.

In its latest attempt to contain the virus, police banned celebrations marking the traditional fire festival that comes before Nowrouz — the Persian New Year.

Chaharshanbe Soori falls on the last Wednesday of the Iranian calendar before the country’s New Year’s Eve, which is on March 20 this year.

Celebrations start on Tuesday evening with Iranians traditionally jumping over fires and lighting fireworks, with many suffering burns resulting in hospitalisation. “Those who go out can be infected with the Covid-19 and make things harder for themselves and their families,” state news agency

Lahore, March 17: Pakistan reported its first casualty due to the novel Covid-19 on Tuesday, health ministry officials said as the number of positive cases of the Covid-19 infections rose to 193 in the country. The first fatality was reported from Lahore. The patient was admitted to the Mayo Hospital in Lahore. He came here from Muscat on March 15. He was tested positive and died on Tuesday. Sindh has 155 positive cases, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 15, Balochistan 10, Gilgit-Baltistan 5, Islamabad 2 and Punjab 6, officials said.

“One COVID-19 patient who was brought from Hafizabad, some 150 kms from Lahore, died here on Tuesday,” Punjab Health Minister Yasmin Rashid said on Tuesday.

IRNA quoted police official Zahiri as saying.

Authorities in other provinces such as Isfahan, Golestan and Khuzestan had also cautioned people against observing the festival, IRNA reported.

The latest health ministry figures showed the Covid-19 disease was spreading fastest in Tehran province.

Tehran Keyvan