Anti-virus fight: Iran doubles production of disinfectants, hygiene items

Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Reza Rahmani said Tuesday that the government had authorized relevant firms to increase the production of detergents, disinfectants and hygiene products.

There has been a substantial increase in the production of items such as face masks, hand sanitizers and disposable gloves since early February, he added.

Faced with a sudden surge in demand for disinfectant liquids and surgical masks following the outbreak, the country experienced an initial shortage of supplies but soon intensified efforts to satisfy the market need through increased domestic production as well as imports.

‘Hoarders of medical supplies could face execution’

Also speaking on Tuesday, Gholam-Hossein Esmaili, the Iranian Judiciary’s spokesman, gave news of multiple arrests in connection with the hoarding and smuggling of medical supplies, disinfectants, protective masks and gloves.

The official explained that if convicted on the charge of of ‘spreading corruption on earth,’ these individuals could face the death penalty. Otherwise, they could be handed lengthy prison terms of between five and 20 years for disrupting the economy.

Esmaili further assured that the prisoners incarcerated over security offenses are being kept in far better conditions compared to other inmates.

He also rejected claims by the family of British-Iranian national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliff that she had contracted coronavirus in jail.

Esmaili noted that Zaghari was in good health and that she had contacted her family to assure them of her health condition.

Zaghari is serving a five-year jail term in Tehran’s Evin prison for espionage.

Iran outlines most recent countermeasures against outbreakThe Iranian administration outlines the country’s most recent efforts to battle the new coronavirus outbreak.

The coronavirus — named COVID-19 — first emerged in China late last year and is now spreading in Europe and across the Middle East, sparking fears of a global pandemic.

Since December 2019, over 91,300 people have been infected in several countries, with 3,120 deaths mostly in China.

According to the figures released by Iran’s Health Ministry, 66 Iranians have died and 1501 have been infected.

Most of the infections have been reported in Tehran, Rasht as well as the city of Qom where the virus was first found.