Tehran, 100 thousand positive cases, but contagion slows

In the last 24 hours there have been 1323 new cases, for a total of 99970. The total victims are 6340, 63 deaths in one day. The progressive reopening of activities and businesses continues. To stop hyper-inflation, Parliament votes on changing the currency: from rial to toman, with a cut of four zeros.

Tehran (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Iran is approaching 100 thousand official cases of new coronavirus, but the slowdown of the disease seems to be stable since the beginning of April and the country has settled on the famous flattening of the curve of infections that should guarantee the end emergency. This is what emerges from the data published yesterday by Tehran, according to which in the last 24 hours there have been 1323 new cases of the viral pneumonia virus for a total of 99970 infected.

In the daily report provided by the Iranian ministry spokesman Kianouche Jahanpour, 63 people died of Covid-19, bringing the overall death toll to 6340 since the start of the pandemic. For weeks, the Islamic Republic has been the most affected nation in the Middle East, now outnumbered by Turkey for the number of cases but not for the victims, which remains the highest.

However, for international experts, the toll provided by Tehran could greatly underestimated and the number of contagions greater. To counter the pandemic, the authorities have taken several restrictive measures without, however, imposing a total closure as done by China or in other European countries, including Italy. From 11 April the government has ordered a progressive reopening of trade and, in recent days, also of schools and mosques in the "white areas".

Meanwhile, the new coronavirus pandemic has aggravated the economic crisis created by White House sanctions imposed in the aftermath of the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal. To counter hyper-inflation, Parliament voted to cut four zeros of the currency: the rial, used since 1925, will soon be replaced by the toman with a proportion of one to 10 thousand.

In recent months, the rial has lost more than 60% of its value. The law voted by Parliament must be ratified by the Council of Guardians of the Revolution, while the Central Bank will have two years to prepare all the changes to the new currency.

On May 4 the exchange rate between the dollar and the rial on the black market is 1 to 156 thousand.