Iran parliament speaker tests positive for COVID-19

Iran’s parliament speaker tested positive for COVID-19, state television reported Thursday, becoming the latest official to contract the disease in the hard hit country.

Ali Larijani “was tested for coronavirus after showing certain symptoms, and as the result was positive, he is currently in quarantine and undergoing treatment,” the report said.

Larijani, 62, is close to the Iranian leadership and president and was re-elected in 2016 for a second term as parliament speaker. He is one of the most senior officials to be infected so far.

Iran has been scrambling to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus since it reported its first cases on February 19.

Earlier Thursday Iran had reported 124 new deaths from the coronavirus, raising its total to 3,160 with more than 50,000 people infected.

The announcement came as President HasanRouhani warned at a cabinet meeting that the country may still battle the pandemic for another year.

“Coronavirus is not something for which we can point to a certain date and say it will be completely eradicated by then,” he said.

Rouhani said the virus “may be with us in upcoming months, or until the end” of the current Iranian year, in March 2021.

The virus has not spared Iranian lawmakers or other officials.

Source: Agencies

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