This archive report was first published on 10 May 2020.
Iranians Fearful as Coronavirus Infections Rise Again ¶
As Iran's capital, Tehran, continues to bustle with activity, residents are growing increasingly fearful of a new spike in coronavirus infections. The city, which has been the Middle East's deadliest virus epicentre, has seen a significant rise in cases despite the government easing restrictions to boost the economy.
On April 11, the government began paring back coronavirus controls outside Tehran, arguing that the economy needed to get back to bare bones operations. This move allowed small businesses to reopen in the capital a week later, followed by malls on April 21 and barbers on Wednesday.
However, the critical daily number of declared infections in Iran has since begun resurging, breaching 1,500 on Saturday to take the country's total number of confirmed infections beyond 106,000. The capital's streets, bazaars, and malls are now bustling after being nearly deserted for weeks.
Shopkeepers like Milad, a 22-year-old who works in a mall, are conflicted about the easing of movement restrictions. "All these customers coming in will endanger our lives -- us who are forced to come" to work, he said.
Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi has called Tehran the country's "Achilles heel" in the fight against the virus. The city's eight million residents are densely packed together, and it is a magnet for hundreds of thousands of workers from other provinces.
Health officials have vowed to re-impose stringent measures if the number of cases continues to climb. However, many Iranians remain adamant that they have to work to avoid financial ruin. "Life costs money," said Hamed, a 22-year-old who travelled over 150 kilometres from Qom to Tehran for banking business.
