TEHRAN – Mostafa Moin, the chief of the Medical Council of Iran, has written a letter to President Hassan Rouhani saying it is necessary to avoid presenting a "semi-normal” picture of the situation in the country as the Covid-19 is taking disproportionate tolls on Iranian citizens, ISNA reported on Tuesday.

Moin, a pediatrician, has warned that creating a “false sense of security” under the pretext of not undermining the society’s “psychological health” is a “dangerous” move.

“It is quite clear that causing possible worry and stress has far less consequences than fancy and a sudden confrontation with realities and breakout of a human tragedy,” warned Moin who was science minister during the administrations of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami.

The fact that every day over 3,000 people are infected with the coronavirus shows that “we have unfortunately not been able to use the golden opportunity of the Nowruz holidays” to contain the disease, he said.

The Persian New Year holidays mostly start from March 20 and last for two weeks.

The former science minister said it is necessary to decisively enforce social distancing, limit traffic inside cities and between cities,… , close offices, and expand holidays for educational centers until the time that is necessary (at least until April 19).

He also urged announcing the number of infected persons and deaths separately in each city and province and win the people’s cooperation in observing the Health Ministry instructions.

Unfortunately, so far protective measures for those in the front line of fighting coronavirus have not been enough, he lamented.

Since such crises threaten the entirety of a civilization or a country, tapping all domestic and international capacities with any political affiliation is a “proof of wisdom” by the sovereign system, Moin stated.

Therefore, he insisted, before “we reach the point of no return it is logical and essential” to prudently make use of all opportunities and capacities in line with “national interests”.

Moin also sent copies of the letter to Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi, Health Minister Saeed Namaki, and some other officials. 

PA/PA