Two Iranians have been arrested by police after they were filmed on video licking and kissing the walls and bars of holy shrines in the country to show that they were not afraid of the Covid-19 virus.

Dozens of videos have surfaced online of these antics which were shared by pro-regime supporters.

Efforts to downplay the extent of the outbreak has been labelled as pro-regime as it is supposed to exaggerate the normalcy of daily life and to even show the coronavirus is a hoax.

These purportedly pious and devout Muslims in the country could even be seen encouraging young children to lick and kiss the shrines.

One of the videos, it was claimed, was filmed in Qom, which is the epicentre of the coronavirus in Iran.

Arrests made

Two men have since been arrested for licking and kissing Iran's religious shrines, according to local media.

These subsequent reports said the individuals were licking the surfaces of Shi'ite shrines in the holy cities of Qom and Mashhad.

One of the man who licked the Fatima Masumeh shrine in Qom and claimed "it's full of coronavirus here" was later arrested.

Videos showing Iranians licking Shia shrines despite the risks of #coronavirus have gone viral online, amid controversy over calls to close access to the shrines as the country continues to suffer from an outbreak of the deadly virus. #Iran

More here: https://t.co/K8O0DBk1zC pic.twitter.com/xJdsUlSh0Z

— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) March 1, 2020

"I am going to lick here to take in all the coronavirus," he said in a video, according to Al Arabiya's English Twitter feed.

"I'm licking this I don't care whatever happens," the man said while being filmed.

"I am not scared of coronavirus."

As reported by the Iranian Fars news agency, another man was arrested after he was filmed licking the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, as he said: "I have come to lick the Imam Reza shrine so that I contract this disease and allow others to visit the shrine with peace of mind".

Videos on social media show Iranians licking shrines amid controversy over calls to close access to the shrines. #Iran has recorded the highest number of #coronavirus cases in the Middle East.

More here: https://t.co/K8O0DBk1zC pic.twitter.com/ywyXJjDTvm

— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) March 1, 2020

He also said: "There are people who say that this shrine spreads the coronavirus, I'm here to lick the tomb so that I can fall ill. This way, I have removed the viruses."

Children encouraged to lick shrines as well

Other more disturbing videos of this unhygienic practice have surfaced.

In another video, a young boy was encouraged to lick the shrine, while a man behind the camera said: "Bravo to this young child for licking all the doors. He's kissing it, licking it. He licked all the doors. We're the ones who will get the virus and our children."

Iranian journalist and activist, Masih Alinejad, shared some of the videos and called upon the World Health Organisation (WHO) to intervene immediately.

Alinejad said: "Not only is this child abuse, but it's also helping the virus spread Iran and to other countries."

The Iranian authorities announced on Saturday that they have the city of Qom under partial lockdown and have begun the process of putting Covid-19 positive cases under quarantine.

Iran the epicentre of coronavirus

Iran is technically now the epicentre of coronavirus in the Middle East.

In the capital Tehran alone, there have been hundreds of new infections.

A number of religious leaders have argued against calls to close Qom's Masumeh shrine amid the outbreak.

The Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's Qom representative reportedly encouraged the continued visitation to the holy site.

"We consider this holy shrine to be a place of healing. That means people should come here to heal from spiritual and physical diseases," cleric Mohammad Saeedi said, according to news outlet Al Arabiya.