Coronavirus in Iran; Death Toll in Some Provinces Has Increased 10 to 20 Times

Based on statistics released by Iran’s Ministry of Health, the daily death toll from coronavirus infection on the 30th day of Farvardin once again approached 400 people. The death toll from the 6th of Azar to the 29th of Farvardin remained below 400 people. Additionally, new cases from the 17th of Farvardin until now have remained above 20,000 people.

Eiraj Harirchi, Deputy Minister of Health, reported violations of quarantine laws by patients who tested positive for coronavirus, calling them “suicide terrorists.”

Many believe that the government’s failure to implement timely restrictions and the slow pace of vaccination have worsened the country’s situation.

Multiple-fold Increase in Death Toll

In Tehran, the head of the Health Committee of the City Council reported a 6-fold increase in the death toll.

In Isfahan, a spokesperson for the Medical Sciences University says the death toll has increased 5 times compared to last month.

In East Azerbaijan, the number of coronavirus deaths has increased 10 times compared to the beginning of the year.

And in Central Province, the deputy health official of Arak Medical Sciences University reported a 20-fold increase in deaths from coronavirus in the fourth wave of the virus.

Masoud Mardani, a member of the scientific committee of the National Coronavirus Fighting Headquarters, told “Hamshahri Online”: “We are managing around 100 to 150 people per day who need hospitalization on an outpatient basis. Hospital beds are completely full and if, for example, my own child gets sick, there is nowhere for him.”

Nationwide Closures and Continued Business Operations

While many cities in the country are in a red (high-risk) situation and according to the National Coronavirus Fighting Headquarters guidelines, only essential businesses are allowed to operate in these areas, the lack of government support for businesses has caused a large number of non-essential businesses such as salons, gyms, and some shops to continue operating semi-clandestinely.

Previously, Alireza Zali, commander of the coronavirus management operation headquarters in Tehran metropolis, had said: “What we see at the city level is not a lockdown and we are playing with words.”

Health Minister Under Fire

On Monday, a number of domestic media outlets reported the approval of a motion to impeach Saeed Namaki, the Minister of Health, on three axes: “the outbreak of the fourth wave of coronavirus and the increase in deaths, lack of transparency in the spending of coronavirus credits, and addressing deprived areas of the country.”

However, Ali Karimi Firozjahi, a member of the Presidium of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, in an interview with the “National House” news agency, denied this report and said: “These claims are not accurate and no such plan has been received by the Presidium.”

Some time earlier, Mohammad Reza Sharifi Moghadam, Secretary General of Iran’s Nursing House, in an interview with “Rokna” news and information agency, referring to the death of seven nurses within a month, held the Health Minister responsible for the inappropriate vaccination of medical staff and “the lack of vaccination of a large part of medical staff across the country,” attributing it to the cause of nurses’ deaths and called for his prosecution.

Iran’s Official Statistics Today

The Ministry of Health statistics show that from the 29th to the 30th of Farvardin, 24,346 new patients infected with coronavirus have been identified and in the past 24 hours, 398 patients have lost their lives.

Many doubt the accuracy of official statistics, and even the Islamic Consultative Assembly’s Research Center has announced that the actual figures for infection and death are several times higher than official statistics. The Iranian Medical System Organization, based on field surveys, has predicted that the actual number of victims is at least three times the announced figures.

Source: Voice of America