Number of Coronavirus Deaths in Iran Increased Sixfold in One Month

The number of daily coronavirus deaths surpassed 450 for the first time since the sixth of Azar, reaching more than six times the number recorded at the beginning of Farvardin. While the vaccination process in Iran has gained some momentum, it still lags significantly behind the promises made by officials.

The fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Iran began at the start of the current year with greater speed and severity than previous waves, and has not yet reached its peak, with all indicators showing slight upward fluctuations.

The Public Relations and Information Center of the Ministry of Health announced on Thursday, the second of Ordibehesht, that slightly more than 24,000 new cases of coronavirus were identified in Iran in the past 24 hours, with 3,438 of them hospitalized.

According to the center’s statement, 453 patients with COVID-19 died in the past day, bringing the total death toll to 68,366.

New Cases Tripled, Deaths Increased More Than Sixfold

Since the beginning of the current year, the rate of new infections and deaths related to COVID-19 has been increasing dramatically. In less than five weeks of the new year, new cases have more than tripled, and the death toll has increased more than sixfold.

On the day ending the first of Farvardin, the number of deaths was reported as 73. The upward trend of this indicator accelerated from mid-Farvardin, and by the end of Farvardin, it reached around 400 deaths per day.

The second half of Aban and the first week of Azar marked the peak of the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Iran, when the daily death toll reached close to 500 per day. From that time until a week ago, this number never exceeded 400 and fell to around 50 deaths per day.

Most experts, and even Health Minister Saeid Namaki himself, cite visits, sightseeing, and Nowruz travels as the most important factors in the surge of the fourth wave of coronavirus, and strongly criticize the National Coronavirus Combat Headquarters for failing to make decisive decisions in this regard.

Hassan Rouhani, the president and head of the National Coronavirus Combat Headquarters, has repeatedly denied the impact of Nowruz travels and visits on the surge of the new coronavirus wave, claiming that many countries that do not celebrate Nowruz are in the same situation.

Extension of Travel Restrictions to Red and Orange Cities

In the first meeting of Ordibehesht, the specialized committees of the headquarters, in the presence of Rouhani, approved a proposal to extend restrictions in red and orange cities until the end of next week.

Accordingly, travel to red and orange cities or departure from them is prohibited for non-resident vehicles except in necessary cases.

The Public Relations of the Ministry of Health has declared the status of 301 Iranian cities as red (very high risk) and 95 cities as orange (high risk). 45 cities are in yellow status (moderate risk) and only seven cities are in blue status (low risk).

The color-coding of cities is also a matter of disagreement between the Ministry of Health and the National Coronavirus Combat Headquarters, which has temporarily been set aside in favor of the headquarters.

Dispute Over Black Coronavirus Cities

The official application of the Ministry of Health (Mask) on the 26th of Farvardin, following Namaki’s remarks about some cities turning darker than red and heading towards black, published a new color-coding of Iranian cities. According to this new map, which was also published by ISNA news agency, 63 cities were in black status, 85 cities in ultra-red status, and 176 cities in red status.

Ali Reza Raisi, spokesman for the National Headquarters, called this action by the Ministry of Health incorrect in a television program and said that this headquarters is the basis for the color-coding of cities regarding coronavirus, and the announcement of this decision is sent by the Ministry of Interior to the provinces.

Vaccination; Falling Behind Promises and Plans

The slow pace of vaccination in Iran and the failure to fulfill officials’ promises regarding it are other issues that have faced extensive criticism.

Vaccination of citizens in Iran began on the 21st of Bahman with a limited number of Russian “Sputnik V” vaccines. The spokesman for the National Coronavirus Combat Headquarters last year expressed optimism that medical staff and high-risk groups in the first priority would be vaccinated by the end of the year.

The number of these individuals is estimated at around 1.3 million, and vaccinating them requires 2.6 million doses of vaccine. This is while from the beginning of vaccination until the second of Ordibehesht, in approximately two and a half months, only slightly more than 677,000 doses of vaccine have been administered in Iran.

Mehr news agency reported on the second of Ordibehesht, citing Ali Reza Raisi, that the first phase of vaccination includes medical staff and vulnerable groups, which will end by mid-month, after which the second phase will begin by vaccinating people with underlying diseases and the elderly.

The spokesman for the National Coronavirus Combat Headquarters says that people in the first phase are around 1.5 million and those covered in the second phase are around 12 million. Vaccinating these individuals requires 27 million doses of vaccine, the source of which is still unclear.

Promise of Joint Russian Vaccine Production Within Two More Weeks

According to Ali Reza Raisi, to vaccinate people in the second priority group “we must wait for more vaccines to reach us and in 3 to 4 more months we will reach domestic vaccine production.”

The Health Minister on the first of Ordibehesht announced at the meeting of the local coronavirus combat headquarters in Alborz province that joint production of the Russian “Sputnik V” vaccine would begin next week or the week after in the province.

So far, the Islamic Republic’s plans for importing vaccines from various countries have not progressed as announced due to various reasons. Nevertheless, Saeid Namaki expressed confidence yesterday that Iran will become one of the world’s “very good” vaccine producers and exporters by the end of spring and after Khordad.

The National Coronavirus Combat Headquarters says vaccination in Iran will be carried out in four phases and will include more than 64 million people in total. Vaccinating this number is scheduled to be completed by the end of the current year, which requires access to 128 million doses of vaccine and the necessary facilities to administer it.

Source: DW