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Islamic Republic of Iran's Basij paramilitary members lick the walls of a Shiite shrine in Qom to re-assure public they are safe to visit despite the coronavirus outbreak in the city.
Qom is the center of a coronavirus epidemic that has killed at least 210 Iranians, according to hospital sources. Despite the rapid spread of coronavirus in the city of Qom, Iran is refusing to close the city's shrines which are visited by thousands of Shiites every day, and officials have invited more Muslims to visit their holy shrines, as they believe the shrine visits will protect them against the virus.