Two men in Iran might face prison time after licking holy shrines amid coronavirus outbreak.

Videos circulated in various social media sites after Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad shared the films.

One video showed a man screaming "I'm not scared of coronavirus," before licking the gates of the Masumeh shrine.

Another video showed a man licking a shrine in Mashhad with "hopes the virus will go into my body so that others may visit the shrine without worries."

 

A member of the parliament addressed the 'unconventional acts' and threatened current and future perpetrators will face up to two years in jail as well as flogging.

Iran has a total of 6,000 confirmed cases--one of the highest recorded cases outside of China. Deaths caused by coronavirus also reached 145. And at least 23 legislators have tested positive.

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Two Iranian parliament members were amongst those who died from COVID-19.

Iranian health officials fear the number of cases in the country are much higher than reported. Kianoush Jahanpour, a spokesman for the country's health ministry, revealed they are testing 16,000 people on Saturday.

The health ministry also said cases in the country jumped by 20 percent during a news conference, spreading to almost 31 Iranian provinces.

They also said the virus was now found throughout the country. Iran is considered the epicenter of COVID-19 in the Middle East after cases in neighboring countries reportedly started in Iran.


Preventive Measures

Towards the end of February, the Iranian government closed schools and institutions in response to the rising number of cases in the country. Cultural and athletic events were also suspended. Shisha pipes were banned in Tehran in the hopes of preventing the spread of the virus.

President Hassan Rouhani said the government has no plans to place any town or city under quarantine and would also observe the method on infected individuals.

Rouhani also urged people to avoid unnecessary travel to affected areas.

Various social media users have criticized the government for not taking measures as other countries have against the global health threat.

Rouhani addressed concerns and assured the public transparency following recent cases and deaths.

The World Health Organization assigned a team to provide help and support to Iranian people. Healthcare workers in the Middle Eastern country also received protective equipment and diagnostic kits to combat coronavirus.

Iranian doctors and nurses started an online dance challenge in hopes of boosting morale amid the health crisis.


Around the World

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide has surpassed 100,000.

Italy, Europe's worst-hit country, has seen the deaths of 230 citizens.

Health officials also reported 50 more fatalities within the past 24 hours. The number of confirmed cases rose from 1,200 to 5,883 on Saturday.

The Italian government is looking into placing the region of Lombardy and 11 other provinces under quarantine. They will also begin recruiting retired doctors to fight the outbreak.

A quarantine facility in Quanzhou, China also collapsed, trapping 70 people under the rubble.

The Chinese government is still investigating possible causes of the collapse of Xinjia Hotel which opened in 2018.

Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York City, also declared a state of emergency after coronavirus cases jumped to 76.