Iran reported another 127 Coronavirus deaths, bringing its death toll to 1,812 amid 23,049 confirmed cases. Meanwhile, Syrians rushed to stock up on food and fuel Monday amid fears that authorities would resort to even stricter measures after reporting the first Coronavirus infection in the country, where the healthcare system has been decimated by nearly a decade of civil war.
Iran is battling the worst outbreak in the Middle East, and has faced widespread criticism for not imposing stricter quarantine measures early on. It is also suffering under severe American sanctions imposed after President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. State TV reported the latest figures on Monday.
The arrival of the global pandemic in Syria as well as the Gaza Strip has raised concerns it could run rampant in some of the most vulnerable areas in the Middle East. War-torn Libya and Yemen, which have yet to report any cases, are also a source of concern.
Lines formed outside grocery stores, banks and petrol stations across the Syrian capital, Damascus, as people braced for wider closures. The government has already closed restaurants, cafes and other businesses, and has halted public transportation.
The city’s famed Hamidiyeh souk, a network of covered markets running through the Old City, was deserted after the government ordered all shops closed on Sunday.
Authorities said border crossings with Lebanon and Jordan would close at midday. Damascus International Airport was closed to commercial traffic after a final commercial flight arrived from Moscow. Syria’s state-run newspapers issued their last print edition before shifting entirely to online news.
Countries across the Middle East have ramped up restrictions on daily life in an effort to contain the global pandemic.
