Iran’s Health Minister: We Must Be Prepared for the Worst Scenarios
Saeid Namaki warned about the possibility of new dimensions of the coronavirus emerging. Six provinces are in alert status. Within 24 hours, 3,117 new COVID-19 patients have been identified in Iran, indicating an upward trend in cases in the country.
The statistics released by Iranian health officials on Monday and Tuesday (12 and 13 Khordad / May 1 and 2) indicate the beginning of a new upward trend in coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) cases in the country.
Kianush Jahanpour, spokesman for the Health Ministry’s coronavirus task force, announced on Tuesday afternoon that “from yesterday to today” 3,117 new COVID-19 patients have been identified in the country and 64 people have died from the disease.
Accordingly, the number of infected people in Iran has reached 157,562 and the total number of deaths from this disease has reached 7,942.
According to Jahanpour, so far 123,077 patients have recovered or been discharged from hospitals, and 2,565 patients are in “severe condition” and are under monitoring.
The head of the Health Ministry’s public relations center also said that the provinces of West Azerbaijan, Isfahan, Bushehr, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, and Hormozgan are in “alert status.”
The situation in Khuzestan province remains “red.”
Jahanpour again emphasized the importance of personal and public hygiene, including washing hands repeatedly for more than 20 seconds, wearing masks, and maintaining distance.
“The virus will become more active
On Monday, the number of new cases in Iran was announced as 2,979 “in the past 24 hours.”
According to Saeid Namaki, 50 percent of cases from Sunday to Monday were from the provinces of Sistan and Baluchestan, Kermanshah, and Hormozgan.
On Tuesday, the Minister of Health, Treatment and Medical Education spoke about the increasing trend of cases during a meeting of the scientific committee for COVID-19 treatment and warned that “the situation regarding coronavirus is by no means normal.”
While stating the possibility that the virus will become more active, he said: “We must be prepared for the worst scenarios. My prediction is that in the fall we will face an overlap of coronavirus and influenza, and in these circumstances schools and universities should close again. Therefore, the best measure in the path of educational justice is to use the capacity of summer, during which we temporarily have a better situation, for education in schools and universities.”
Namaki described virtual education as a good opportunity for teaching but emphasized that many rural areas in Iran do not have internet access, “therefore, relying solely on virtual education is not in the path of educational justice.”
Preventing “Negligence”
The health minister further emphasized that an important measure to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 is “reducing community vulnerability by increasing public awareness and preventing negligence.”
He said that during his visit to Mashhad, he observed that “many people have become negligent, they are tired of wearing masks, people did not maintain distance in airport queues, and airplane ventilation was not working.”
Namaki acknowledged one of his ministry’s mistakes regarding the treatment of coronavirus patients: “One of the shortages in the coronavirus epidemic was a shortage of ICU beds. On the night of the holiday, we added 900 ICU beds with ventilators, but our problem is a shortage of specialized personnel in ICU units, therefore I do not agree with the indiscriminate and scattered increase of these beds like before.”
He emphasized that equipment alone does not treat patients; rather, it is quality care that saves patients’ lives.
The health minister also warned officials: “Worse than people’s negligence is the negligence of officials. Normalization and oversimplification can destroy the country’s achievements in managing coronavirus.”
Source: DW
