'Nobody trusts': Iranian ex-pats worry coronavirus back home worse than reported

The soaring number of coronavirus cases and deaths in Iran is worrying members of Manitoba's Iranian communitywho believe the situation is more dire than thecountry's notoriously-secretive government is letting on.

"Nobody trusts the official data. The number of people who have died, we all believe that it's a lot more than that," said Arian Arianpour, a member of theIranian Community of Manitoba.

"It's a lot more than what they are announcing."

On Wednesday, Iran's state media announced there have been92 deaths from theCOVID-19outbreak,with 586 new infections reported overnight. In all, the Islamic Republic says the country has 2,922 cases.

Iran and Italy now have the most coronavirus-related deaths outside of mainland China. On Wednesday, Italy said it's total had reached 107.

Officially, that is 15 more than Iran.However,the BBC has reported at least 210 coronavirus deaths in Iran, citing anonymous sources in the country's health system.

The news agency saysmost of the victims have been from the capital, Tehran, and the city of Qom.

"We're all very concerned for very obvious reasons," said Arianpour.

"The level of mistrust between the Iranians and the governmentisat a record high.So we don't think that we're getting the official numbers of people who have unfortunately died. We don't trust that."

He has been in Winnipeg for two years since leaving Iran.His family still lives there.

"They're OK, but worried of course. My family lives in Tehran where many people are suffering, many people have died."

Tehran has reported 1,043 coronavirus cases.

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More than 3,000 people have died globally from COVID-19 with more than 92,000 infections confirmed in dozens of countries, according to the World Health Organization.

In Canada, as of March3, there have been 33 confirmed cases and no deaths.

The BBC has reported there are fears the Iranian government is unsure of how to handle the outbreak so it is covering up the extent of the spread of virus. The country's leaders had once said Iran would not likely be affected by the epidemic as itswept through China.

Even now, in the wake of23 members of parliament falling ill from the virus and three officials dying includinga member of a top council that advises Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei there remains a sense of denial at the highest levels.

Ali Khamenei has said the virus won't impact the country for long and will disappear.

"I don't want to say it's unimportant, but let's not exaggerate ... the coronavirus won't affect the country for long and will leave," the BBC quoted him as saying.

And back in late February,Iranian Deputy Health MinisterIraj Harirchi was coughing and sweating profusely wiping his head with a cloth at a news conference while telling people the COVID-19outbreak was being dealt with.

The next day it was announced he tested positive.

"I'm embarrassed to see the people who are in charge of taking care of people, taking care of sick people or to make sure that less people are affected by this themselves have not only gotten sick but also have kept trying to not let people know," Arianpour said.

Some restrictions have now been enacted by the Iranian government. Prayerevents and other public gatherings have been cancelled, as has some international travel.

The delayed reaction is typical of how the government has, for years, reacted to serious issues, said Arianpour.

"They knew that coronavirus is in Iran and they did not let people know until two weeks later," he said.

"They could [have]let people know that they should be more careful. And they are doing that now but I guess it is too late."

'No one can get out of the country'

"Late" is the wordMaryamNadmehalso used for the Iran government's response, saying she'd heard first from nurse friends in Iran thatcoronavirushad arrived.

Days later, the government acknowledged the virus through the state media.

"I think they were asleep. They didn't know what's going on," saidNadmeh,owner of Tehran Cafe in Winnipeg.

She typicallyavoids state-run news in Iran because she doesn't trust it. Instead, she gets her news from friends and family who still live there. Those includenurses in the hospitals where victims are now being treated.

It's through them that she has heard the higher estimates for the number of people infected.

Now she's worried for her family, which is trapped in Irandue to the travel ban.

Her brother, who also lives in Winnipeg,went recently to visit their parents. All three aresupposed to return to Winnipeg next week but the flights have been cancelled.

"No one can get out of the country right now," Nadmeh said, adding her family is trying to remain isolated and safe.

"They all stay inside.They don't go out [unless] maybe for some essential stuff,"Nadmehsaid.

But she's trying to be optimisticthe situation will improve, now that the government can't ignore it any longer. And also, because she trusts those on the front lines.

"I think it's being takencare of right now because it's not in thehand of government anymore. It'sthe hand of doctors [and] hospitals,"Nadmehsaid.

"They're working in the hospital day and night right now."