Iranian Health Minister, Chinese Envoy Discuss Coronavirus Outbreak
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran's Health Minister Saeed Namaki and China’s Ambassador to Iran Chang Hua held talks on the latest developments surrounding the deadly outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the East Asian country.
“I met with Minister of Health, Dr. Saeed Namaki, and we believe that we have to combat the Coronavirus through cooperation with the international community,” the Chinese diplomat said in a Persian-language tweet on Saturday.
In a post on social media on Friday, Namaki had said that more than 70 Iranian students residing in China’s Wuhan will return home in the coming days.
They will be quarantined and monitored in a suitable place for two weeks after arriving in Iran, he added.
China’s Wuhan is in virtual lockdown, and nearly all flights at the city's airport have been canceled and checkpoints block the main roads leading out of town.
Authorities have imposed similar lockdowns on more than 10 cities near Wuhan as part of the ongoing containment effort.
The virus has so far killed 259 people and spread to at least 18 countries around the world, with the number of confirmed coronavirus cases standing at more than 11790.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declared it an international public health emergency.
Iran is a major destination for Chinese tourists visiting the Middle East.