Daily Times

Iran said Friday the security forces will clear the streets nationwide within 24 hours so all citizens can be checked for coronavirus – its toughest measure yet to combat the outbreak.

The COVID-19 epidemic in Iran – a nation of more than 80 million people – has now claimed over 500 lives and infected more than 11,000.

Since it announced the first deaths last month, Iran has shut schools, postponed events and discouraged travel ahead of Nowrouz, the country’s New Year holidays.

But despite those and other measures including the cancellation of the main weekly Friday prayers, the official number of deaths and infections has continued to grow exponentially.

Iran’s supreme leader on Thursday ordered the armed forces to lead the battle against the outbreak.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei instructed the security forces to bring their services together and expand efforts to combat the virus.

Acting on those orders, armed forces chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri chaired a meeting on Friday that included Revolutionary Guard commander Hossein Salami and police chief Hossein Ashtari.

Bagheri appeared in front of the cameras later to say a newly formed commission had been charged with overseeing the “emptying of shops, streets, and roads” within the next 24 hours.

“During the next 10 days, the entire Iranian nation will be monitored once through cyberspace, by phone and, if necessary, in person, and those suspected of being ill will be fully identified,” he said.

It was difficult to estimate on Friday the real extent of the measures announced by the general.

News of the lockdown came as A total of 514 people lost their lives, and the number of cases so far is 11.364. Iranian members of parliament have also victimized by this deadly disease. Ali Akbar Velayati was identified as a suspected patient of the coronavirus. He was moved to quarantine.