Rumors have swirled that the virus numbers reported mask a far more severe outbreak. The deaths of half a dozen Islamic clerics in Damascus in one week in mid-July raised even more suspicion. Only one was known to have died from the virus but it wasn't clear what caused the other deaths. A well-known Lebanese singer who resided in Syria also died of the virus in late July. It said those who died of the virus were buried in a cemetery in the Damascus countryside to avoid spreading the virus to residential areas.

Source: International New York Times August 04, 2020 19:41 UTC