CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK (COVID-19) Situation Report 9 26 May 2020   Overview As there is an essential need for further cooperation amongst the countries in the fight against COVID-19 with support from the World Health Organisation, Iran continues to taking measures in line with the national anti-COVID19 campaign, social distancing plan and the gradual opening of businesses. According to the latest data from the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, 137,724 people have been infected with COVID-19 in Iran with death toll standing at 7,451 and recoveries exceeding 107,713.    Ministry of Health is responsible for the treatment operation and the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) is coordinating its activities based on existing needs and protocols. The IRCS is scaling up their preparedness and response within the country and is still making efforts to assist government response in accordance with the policy obtained by the health authorities. However, the country is about to control the disease and the duration of the treatment has been reduced to 3 -4 days for most cases. Active screening is being done by the diagnosis kits through provincial task forces. Hence, the IRCS is making efforts to increase its readiness to help people once it is needed and for the return of diseases with possible high density of cases in autumn.   Response from Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) IRCS activated Emergency Operation Centers (EOC) at the IRCS Headquarters and 32 branches throughout the country. The secretariat has been established at IRCS Health, Treatment and Rehabilitation Division to centralize the necessary coordination with the Iranian Ministry of Health and sharing health guidelines as well as prioritizing the measures throughout the IRCS branches based on coordination with the MoH.   Community Engagement and Communication In coordination with the Iranian Ministry of Health and considering the importance of public education, the IRCS is focusing on public awareness campaign for the people from different walks of life. The IRCS has continued different phases of training for public education aiming at educating people with the coronavirus and necessary preventive measures as well as the updating educational materials for the IRCS’s trainers throughout the country. Regular video conferences and virtual meetings for IRCS branches have been organized to share guidelines and materials. The IRCS, in coordination with Medical Council, provided general and specialized trainings on Corona online courses for volunteers and staff. The educational activities of IRCS include:   - Brochures, posters, info graphic (2,950 pages in Persian and other languages) - Movie, clip, and motion graphic (881 programs have been produced particularly for different walks of life and deaf people y) Also, 16 educational documentation videos have been produced. - Information sharing and publication of training contexts include: Visiting social webs: 71,900,000 people Visiting training site as www.coronavirus.ir: 23,100,000 people   -Attending Corona test “test.Corona.ir”: 11,600,000 -Sending SMS: 29,350,000   Iranian Red Crescent is fully involved in providing online, face-to-face and briefing trainings. Up to now, 1,424,000 people, 94,000 volunteers, 60,700 staff and 22,000 trainers have passed online course of coronavirus. 1,000,000 people, 100,000 volunteers, 8,500 staff and 5,200 trainers have passed face-to-face and briefing trainings           Health and Care The Iranian Red Crescent Noor Afshar hospital is still admitting coronavirus patients. Based on the latest reports, 1,483 patients have referred to the hospital of which 897 cases are infected and 426 people recovered, 501 cases hospitalized, 511 are outpatients and 81 lost their lives. According to the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, the process of confrontation with COVID-19 has three phases of management, control and containment in Iran. Reportedly, coronavirus has been controlled and restrained in many parts of the country. Therefore, all hospitalised patients of the IRCS medical shelters have been discharged and the Iranian Red Crescent ended the provision of services in Qom, Qazvin, Golestan, Isfahan and Zanjan provinces. Whilst identifying those individuals who are infected by coronavirus through molecular diagnostic testing and doing screening proactively, the Iranian Red Crescent’s medical teams of all provincial branches are standing on standby and maintaining their readiness to respond the re-rise of the COVID-19 crisis.   Wash and Voluntary Actions By using public donations, the IRCS Volunteer Organisation distributed 100,000 food parcels and 171,000 hygiene kits amongst the most vulnerable. Also 1,000 food parcels have been distributed amongst most vulnerable people in Kurdistan province by the IRCS. 1,350 volunteers donated blood for the benefit of the patients in hospitals. Volunteers of the IRCS disinfected 92,000 streets and avenues, 48,995 public transportation such as taxis and buses, as well as public places including 43 prisons, 96 night dormitories for homeless, 3,568 mosques and 52,429 other places across the country. For the purpose, the volunteers have used 5,385,589 litres of disinfectant lotions.  The IRCS is still distributing personnel protection equipment including different types of gloves, 3-layer masks, N95 masks, bags, anti-septic gel, thermometers, hospital gowns and relief gowns for volunteers in IRCS’s road relief posts, medical shelters, drugstores and health and rehabilitation centres throughout the country for one month consume. Furthermore, the IRCS is planning to meet the needs of most vulnerable people in this situation. Hence, in coordination with MoH and Medical universities, 500,000 special patients like patients with haemophilia, patients on dialysis and chemotherapy have been screened to receive health kits including 10 masks and 350cc disinfectant lotions. So far, 400,000 patients have received the health kits.   International Relations The International Affairs and IHL Division of the Iranian Red Crescent is coordinating and following up the various and international activities and donations for more effective response based on the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Up to now, USD 200,000 from INGO in Pakistan, USD 1,000,000 from the Japanese government through IFRC has been pledged to help the IRCS response (2,000 face shield and 1,950,000 masks have been arrived to the customs). CHF 500,000 from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been transferred to the IRCS account in this operation. About 145 humanitarian air cargos have been arrived at Tehran airport including various masks, latex gloves, anti-septic gel, thermometers, and hospital gowns from National Societies, Relief International, NGOs, WHO and Iranian citizen in abroad. The IRCS is in close contact with IFRC and ICRC to receive humanitarian contributions. In close cooperation with International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and non-Movement actors, the Iranian Red Crescent Society is making efforts to fight with Coronavirus through international humanitarian assistance in the event of a coronavirus outbreak in the country.   Outstanding Needs The IRCS is still looking for resources for implementation of livelihood project such as distribution of food parcels or cash among the 500,000 people who has no income and support to alleviate their sufferings and meet their basic needs. About 140,000 food parcels have been distributed so far among the families as the most vulnerable people according to the IRCS plan.   Contact Information For more information about the IRCS response operations to COVID 19, please contact Ms. Mansooreh Bagheri Director General of International Operations and Humanitarian Programmes in the Iranian Red Crescent Society. •        E-mail: int_operations@rcs.ir •        Mobile: +98 9121396432 •        Website: en.rcs.ir •        Fax: +98 21 88201052  •        Tel: +98 21 88201082