The coronavirus crisis in Iran is only getting worse, despite what the regime called “severe restrictions” and a “smart lockdown.”
“The conditions of the province and city of Tehran are critical, and the situation is not what would be expected of the coronavirus-riddled city. City traffic data and scenes show that the proper and required rhythm to control the epidemic in the city has not been achieved yet,” said Alireza Zali, the head of the Coronavirus Task Force in Tehran.
And he is hardly the only official voicing concern. Tehran City Council member Hojjat Nazari said that in reality there have been no closures despite the lockdown, with businesses still open, and streets filled with crowds.
“Since yesterday, it was instructed to shut down the capital. But in practice, there have been no closures… This also shows that the government had no intention to shut down the city… This will not prevent the spread of the coronavirus,” he said.
Meanwhile, statistics show that infections and deaths are still rising. Zali said that even if this plan works exactly as we need it too, effects may not be apparent until February. And to be clear, there is no indication that it is working at all.
So will we see a decline in the country’s coronavirus rates in the coming months? Not if the people in power don’t get serious and actually institute a lockdown while providing support for those who will lose income. Unfortunately, this means that infections, hospital admissions, and deaths will only continue to climb.
The Iranian Resistance wrote: “Clearly, given the regime’s approach, the future is grim. Any country that wants to impose quarantines or partial shutdowns must provide financial support for people, so stay at home without being worried about providing for their families.”
What Have the Mullahs Done?
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that 30 million people were given 1 million rials per month for four months at the start of the pandemic, while 10 million families were given 10 million-rial loans.
This sounds like a lot but the skyrocketing price of basic food items and the fall in the value of the rial, which is due to the regime’s corruption and mismanagement, have meant that this money is not sufficient. This means that people are forced to work and that is the regime’s plan.
After all, if they really wanted to enforce a lockdown that could empty the billions of dollars from the foundations of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, but the regime is more concerned with keeping power than keeping their people alive, something that will soon blow up in their faces.
