TEHRAN: Two people have died in Iran after testing positive on Wednesday for the new coronavirus, the health ministry said, in the Islamic republic's first cases of the disease.
They are also the first deaths from the COVID-19 virus in the Middle East and only the seventh and eighth outside China where the outbreak has killed more than 2,000 people.
State news agency IRNA quoted Kianoush Jahanpour, a ministry spokesman, as saying the virus was detected in two elderly people with immunity problems in the city of Qom, south of the Iranian capital.
"Following the recent cases of chronic respiratory diseases in Qom, two of the patients tested positive in preliminary tests," it quoted him as saying.
"Unfortunately both passed away in the intensive care unit due to old age and issues with their immune system."
The state news agency had earlier quoted Jahanpour as saying that the "new coronavirus" had been confirmed in two people and that other suspected cases were isolated.
IRNA also quoted a media adviser to Iran's health minister as saying two people had died after testing positive for the coronavirus.
"Both of the people who had tested positive for coronavirus were in Qom and were old. Both have passed away," said Alireza Vahabzadeh.
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Coronavirus kills two in Iran
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https://arab.news/vwanz
Coronavirus kills two in Iran
- Authorities did not say how many people were suspected of having the virus
- The two confirmed cases were detected in the central province of Qom
Syria reveals new post-Assad banknotes
DAMASCUS: Syrian leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa unveiled on Monday new banknotes replacing those showing ousted ruler Bashar Assad and his family, hoping the Syrian pound can regain some of the value lost to over a decade of war.
Improving the standing of the Syrian pound is among the greatest challenges for Syria’s new authorities, who will remove two zeros, in a process known as redenomination.
The new bills, which range from 10 to 500 Syrian pounds, will enter circulation on January 1. They show images of roses, wheat, olives, oranges and other agricultural symbols for which Syria is famous.
After unveiling the banknotes, Sharaa said the new currency marks “the end of a previous, unlamented phase and the beginning of a new phase that the Syrian people... aspire to.”
“The new currency design is an expression of the new national identity and a move away from the veneration of individuals.”
Since the start of Syria’s civil war in 2011, the pound has plunged from 50 to around 11,000 against the greenback, and Syrians are forced to carry huge wads of banknotes even for basic needs like grocery shopping.
The removal of the zeros, which does not impact the currency’s value, was done to make transactions easier and restore trust in the Syrian pound.
“If someone wants to buy something simple, they need to carry bags in order to trade, so people go for dollars,” Sharaa said, adding that the currency revamp will boost “the national currency within the country and strengthen trust.”
“Syria deserves a strong economy and a stable currency.”
Syria’s old banknotes were printed in Russia, Assad’s former backer.
When asked by journalists, Syrian central bank chief Abdul Qadir Al-Hasriya did not specify where the new currency will be printed.
Improving the standing of the Syrian pound is among the greatest challenges for Syria’s new authorities, who will remove two zeros, in a process known as redenomination.
The new bills, which range from 10 to 500 Syrian pounds, will enter circulation on January 1. They show images of roses, wheat, olives, oranges and other agricultural symbols for which Syria is famous.
After unveiling the banknotes, Sharaa said the new currency marks “the end of a previous, unlamented phase and the beginning of a new phase that the Syrian people... aspire to.”
“The new currency design is an expression of the new national identity and a move away from the veneration of individuals.”
Since the start of Syria’s civil war in 2011, the pound has plunged from 50 to around 11,000 against the greenback, and Syrians are forced to carry huge wads of banknotes even for basic needs like grocery shopping.
The removal of the zeros, which does not impact the currency’s value, was done to make transactions easier and restore trust in the Syrian pound.
“If someone wants to buy something simple, they need to carry bags in order to trade, so people go for dollars,” Sharaa said, adding that the currency revamp will boost “the national currency within the country and strengthen trust.”
“Syria deserves a strong economy and a stable currency.”
Syria’s old banknotes were printed in Russia, Assad’s former backer.
When asked by journalists, Syrian central bank chief Abdul Qadir Al-Hasriya did not specify where the new currency will be printed.
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