IRAN
135 more deaths in Iran amid coronavirus outbreak
17 March 2020, 11:14
The 13% spike in fatalities has increased concerns that the illness is not being contained in the country.
The new coronavirus has killed 135 more people in Iran, officials said a 13% spike that raises the death toll to 988 amid 16,169 infections.
https://www.lbcnews.co.uk/world-news/b7f5ad3c40724b38b56792ac499a663c/
*****
Virus at Iran’s gates’: How Tehran failed to stop outbreak
The Associated Press
Published Tuesday, March 17, 2020 5:33AM EDT
Last Updated Tuesday, March 17, 2020 5:38AM EDT
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Appearing before the cameras coughing and sweating profusely, the man leading Iran’s response to the new coronavirus outbreak promised it was of no danger to his country.
“Quarantines belong to the Stone Age,” Iraj Harirchi insisted.
A day later, he himself would be in quarantine from the virus.
https://www.cp24.com/world/virus-at-iran-s-gates-how-tehran-failed-to-stop-outbreak-1.4856011
*****
Iran has released 85,000 prisoners in an emergency bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus
...
Political prisoners are reportedly among those released. It is unclear whether Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian dual citizen detained in Iran since 2016, is among them.
https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-covid-19-iran-releases-eighty-five-thousand-prisoners-2020-3
First column is cases, second is quarantine (I think), third is ICU, fourth is fatalities.