Clinic in Iran torched, believed to be coronavirus quarantine

A clinic in the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas was torched on Friday because some people believed that coronavirus patients from another city were quarantined in it, according to Iranian media reports.

Rumors spread that 10 infected people were transported from the city of Qom, the epicenter of the virus in Iran, to Towhid Clinic, according to social media posts.

However, the semi-official Fars News Agency referred to the claims of people being transferred to the southern Bandar Abbas city as “unfounded rumors” and that this information “angered” some residents who then set fire to the clinic.

The hospital has a special ward for coronavirus patients, the news agency cited the director of public relations at the University of Hormozgan Medical Sciences Fatima Norouzian as saying. She added that any rumor about patients being in the clinic is “just a lie.”

The number of deaths across Iran from the outbreak is at least 210, according to BBC Persian reports on Saturday citing sources from hospitals in Iran. Health officials said only 34 people have died of the virus so far and 388 people have been diagnosed.

On Thursday, the deputy head of Qom’s medical university said Iran may resort to setting up field hospitals in Qom as hospitals have hit maximum capacity due to the coronavirus outbreak in the city.

Read more: Iran may set up field hospitals in Qom as facilities hit max capacity

Pompeo reacts to Iran’s coronavirus outbreak

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed his concern on Friday due to the spread of coronavirus in Iran.

“I’m deeply concerned by the spread of #coronavirus in #Iran and the public health risk to the Iranian people and their neighbors,” Pompeo said in a tweet. “The US offers our humanitarian assistance to the people of Iran to help unmet needs in their response efforts.