Iran's military on alert as virus kills 77, sickens leaders

A woman wearing face mask and gloves shops at the Palladium Shopping Center, in northern Teheran, on Tuesday (March 3). Iran's supreme leader put the Islamic Republic's armed forces on alert Tuesday to assist health officials in combating the coronavirus outbreak, the worst outside of China. - AP

TEHERAN: Iran put its armed forces on alert on Tuesday (March 3) to assist health officials in battling the new coronavirus that's killed at least 77 people, an outbreak that has sickened top officials and pushed even its supreme leader into wearing disposable gloves while trying to reassure the nation.

Even as government officials sit meters (feet) away from each other at meetings now in an effort to stop its spread, the virus is ravaging both its civilian leadership and its Shiite theocracy. A top emergency official and at least 23 members of parliament reportedly contracted the virus and now suffer from the Covid-19 illness it causes. Others have died.