Deputy Health Minister: People Should Appreciate Free Vaccine as a Blessing
126 coronavirus patients died in one day. Schools will reopen from the beginning of December, and the Road Organization reports on the coordination of passenger control systems. The Deputy Health Minister says vaccination was supposed to be paid, but the coronavirus headquarters opposed it.
33 Iranian cities are in red condition, 95 cities in orange condition, 220 cities in yellow condition, and 100 cities in blue conditions. In the 24 hours ending on November 7, 7,554 new coronavirus patients were identified, of whom 1,078 were hospitalized. During the same period, 126 more patients died, and the total number of coronavirus deaths reached 127,299 people.
Meanwhile, new measures are being announced to contain the sixth wave of the pandemic; including intensive controls on roads to prevent the movement of unvaccinated people and the non-issuance of air and rail tickets for passengers who have not been vaccinated or do not have proof of non-infection.
The director general of passenger transportation at the Road Organization and Road Transport said: “From the beginning of December, health protocols and observance of social distancing in public transport fleets will be implemented more consistently and systematically to encourage people to use vaccines and PCR tests.”
The Deputy Minister of Transport also emphasized that there will be no possibility of issuing tickets in air and rail transport for unvaccinated people, and highway patrols will also control routes in all provinces. It was also announced that with the implementation of new regulations, the 60 percent passenger acceptance limit on airplanes will be lifted.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Health Minister in controversial remarks reminded people to appreciate the free vaccine. He, apparently intending to encourage citizens, called the free vaccine a “blessing” and said: “We intended to make coronavirus vaccination paid from December, but the National Coronavirus Control Headquarters opposed it.”
Since Saturday, November 6, people over 60 years old in all Iranian provinces have been called to relevant centers to receive the third dose of coronavirus vaccine. The Health Ministry has considered eligible people as those who have received Sinopharm and Barkat vaccines and four months have passed since their second dose injection.
However, the motivation of many citizens who have not been vaccinated and have no intention of vaccination is lack of trust in the effectiveness of domestic or Chinese vaccines.
The acting head of the Statistics Management and Information Technology Center at the Health Ministry said that Gilan has the highest vaccination rate in both doses, and Sistan and Baluchestan has the lowest rate. Ali Sharifi Zarcheh added that vaccination has shown a declining trend as it reaches young people and adolescents.
This Health Ministry official also warned about reopening schools in red cities and said: “I cannot imagine schools opening in these cities at all. We must carefully prevent the occurrence of the sixth peak of coronavirus across the country because while it may not threaten students, their families are at risk.”
Source: DW
