According to the information that Iran International has received, the supreme national security council and the Ministry of Health were both aware of the deaths of citizens from coronavirus before the February 11 rally for the anniversary of the Islamic revolution but refused to warn the nation.

One reliable source told Iran International on Monday: “Death of patients with severe respiratory problems in Qom caused the Ministry of Health to send the Deputy Minister to this city to investigate, and the arrival of coronavirus in Iran became clear for the Islamic Republic officials in late March.”

The confidential source added that the government officials in Iran are yet to announce the real number of patients and those who died of coronavirus.

The Islamic Republic officials only announced the coronavirus cases two weeks after the national rally. The source also told Iran International that Qom and Gilan provinces are on red alert and Tehran and Isfahan are on the verge of being declared on red alert.

Ministry of Health officials have so far confirmed the death of 66 people from coronavirus. According to our source, the real number is at least 416.

A doctor at a medical university in Iran who wished to remain anonymous told Iran International that they have been accepting coronavirus patients in the past four weeks without being informed by the officials.

The doctor, who has also been infected with coronavirus and is currently quarantined added: “Unfortunately the Ministry of Health officials did not do the ethical thing and due to their secrecy, several of our staff and me got the disease.”

The spokesperson for Iran’s government, Ali Rabiei, has claimed that Iran has been among the most transparent countries in reporting on the disease.