TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani has attached great importance to transparency and public trust in fight against the coronavirus outbreak.

During a meeting of the “National Headquarters for Fighting Coronavirus” on Saturday, Rouhani said that “trust and empathy” between the people and the government are very important in such a situation that the virus has spread to all across the country.

“Success in the fight against the coronavirus in the shortest period of time is contingent upon the people and also executive bodies’ cooperation with the national headquarters for fighting coronavirus,” he said.

He also asked the people to take care and avoid unnecessary traffic and inter-city travels.

Rouhani also noted, “In the fight against the coronavirus, transparency and public trust are very important. Therefore, emphasis must be put on providing transparency and timely distribution of information and reports.”

He also praised the good progress in equipping the laboratories.

However, he said, “According to the statistics and information provided by different provinces, the number of laboratories should be expanded accordingly.”

Iran is currently battling the world's deadliest outbreak of the coronavirus outside China, where it originated.

Head of Iranian Health Ministry’s Public Relations and Information Center Kianoush Jahanpour confirmed on Sunday 743 new cases of infection, including 49 deaths.

The record-breaking increase in the number of new infections raises the total number of confirmed cases to 6,566 and the overall death toll to 194.

The World Health Organization has hailed Iran’s strategies and priorities to control coronavirus.

“IR Iran strategies/priorities to control #COVID19 are evolving in the right direction & positive work is being done around case management, infection prevention/control, labs, risk comm. & the whole of government approach,” WHO said in a tweet on March 5.

According to Press TV, Emergency Director for WHO’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Richard Brennan told journalists in Tehran on Saturday that the organization will “provide all the support” to the Iranian government in its fight against the coronavirus.

“We are very optimistic that together we will make excellent progress,” he said.

NA/PA