ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Western Iran’s Kurdistan province has seen 51 deaths with a total of 404 confirmed cases of the new strain of coronavirus, which has wreaked havoc across Iran.



As of Monday midday, 2,757 people have died after contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus with 41,495 confirmed cases across the country.



Almost 14,000 people have recovered from the virus.



State run news agency IRNA said that the death rate in the Kurdistan province stands at 12.62%, while the rest of the country runs at 6.8%.



The Kurdistan province lacks adequate equipment to test all those with symptoms of the virus.



On Saturday, health authorities in the Kurdistan province failed to provide new figures to Iran’s central Health Ministry, which reports the latest figures across the country at a press conference daily at midday.



According to Dr Farzin Reza’i, the head of medical sciences at the University of Kurdistan Province, they were unable to contribute to the country-wide figures due to a faulty machine. He added that the machine they use to test the patients has to be stopped after a 30 day cycle to be recalibrated.



“855 samples of suspected cases have been taken since the onset of the virus, out of which 404 tested positive, 406 negative, and 45 remain pending,” Dr Farzin Reza’I told IRNA.



Reza’I said that 51 patients have died including 21 cases in Saqez, the worst hit city in the province.



110 people have recovered and have been discharged from hospitals. “Seven children under the age of 10 in this province have been amongst those who contracted the corona disease.”

Colonel Abbas Masoudi, the deputy head of Kurdistan province police, said that the restrictions in the province will continue until April 8 to prevent a further spread of the virus.



“Police patrol cars are stationed in 26 locations across the province to check the vehicles that pass through. During this time, 109 vehicles have been given heavy fines, and seven vehicles have been seized,” Masoudi told a local media outlet. “We have also closed and sealed 51 shops, because they did not observe the rules.”



The authorities are preparing for locals to ignore health regulations for Sizdah Be-dar on Wednesday. During the ancient festival that falls on the 13th day of the Iranian calendar, it is customary for people to venture into nature to celebrate the arrival of spring during the ancient festival. The day marks the end of the two weeks Newroz holiday in Iran.