Iran coronavirus deaths reach 22, as crisis worsens

Twenty-two people have now died from the novel coronavirus in Iran, the worst-hit country outside of China. The mortality rate from Covid-19 in Iran has soared to over 13% -- significantly higher than any other country experiencing an outbreak of the pathogen. Some suspect that may be down to an under-reporting of the total number of cases, which stand at more than 140. The death rate in China's Hubei province, the epicenter of the virus, is around 2%.
The country, which is already struggling with an economic crisis worsened by crippling US sanctions, is scrambling to contain the virus, as well as the fears it has sown.
Despite the virus' spread, President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that authorities won't quarantine any Iranian cities. He also warned about the virus becoming "a weapon at the hands of our enemies," as part of "propaganda" against the country.
Iran's Qom province has become ground zero of the country's coronavirus outbreak with 63 confirmed cases, according to state news agency IRNA. Pilgrimages have continued unabated to the holy city of Qom, despite health officials calling on clerics to limit visitors.