Iran has seen the largest number of coronavirus infections in the Middle East, and the virus is spreading quickly to neighboring countries.
The Iranian government reported a surge in coronavirus cases last week. At least 60 people in Iran have been infected so far with at least 12 deaths, the highest death toll outside China. On Monday alone, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq reported their first cases.
At least 34 cases have been reported in Qom, a holy city just 90 miles south of Tehran. The city houses several holy places and pilgrimage sites.
Some cases reported in other countries are tied to travel from holy places in Iran. For instance, the three cases reported in Kuwait are associated with people returning from one of Iran’s holiest cities, Mashhad, according to Bloomberg.
The spike in cases reported in Iran has prompted neighboring countries to place restrictions on traveling to and from Iran. Oman has halted all commercial flights to Iran, and Qatar Airways announced that all passengers from Iran and South Korea will be quarantined for two weeks. Pakistan and Turkey have closed their land borders with Iran.
The World Health Organization maintains that the coronavirus is still not a pandemic despite the quick spread of the virus throughout the Middle East and the rising death toll worldwide. However, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday that the outbreak could get worse.
“Does this virus have pandemic potential? Absolutely, it has,” Ghebreyesus said. “Are we there yet? From our assessment, not yet.”
Almost 80,000 cases of the coronavirus have been reported globally, and about 2,600 people have died.
