The risk of Corona becoming a "travel souvenir" for Iranians
Based on field research and studies, there is a “completely significant and direct correlation” between the amount of travel and the rate of coronavirus infection. Despite the announcement of travel restrictions in several Iranian provinces, experts warn against turning coronavirus into a travel souvenir.
Health Minister Saeed Namaki announced on the sidelines of yesterday's cabinet meeting (Wednesday, October 13) that the National Coronavirus Management Headquarters has agreed to impose restrictions in the provincial capitals of Tehran, Isfahan, Urmia, Karaj, and Mashhad, and that these restrictions will be applied during the upcoming holidays.
The commander of the coronavirus disease management operation in the Tehran metropolis announced on Thursday that these restrictions will also include 45 cities in the five provinces that are in a more critical situation than other cities.
A significant and direct relationship between increased travel and infection
Alireza Zali called these restrictions an important part of the health guidelines to combat the spread of the virus and said: "In three time periods, field and research studies in Tehran province indicate a completely meaningful and direct connection between the amount of travel and the rate of infection and hospitalization."
Next Saturday is a holiday, and it is expected that, like the multi-day holidays in previous months, interprovincial travel, especially travel to the northern provinces, will increase sharply.
The connection between increased travel and cases and hospitalizations has been observed in almost all provinces of Iran, but the new record of cases and deaths in the past day and the upcoming holidays have increased concerns.
According to official statistics from the Ministry of Health, 4,830 new cases of coronavirus were identified in the 24 hours ending at noon on October 13, and 279 patients with COVID-19 have lost their lives. This is the highest figure in both cases since the confirmation of the arrival of coronavirus in Iran.
Fifth consecutive day with more than 250 victims
A spokesman for the Ministry of Health announced on Thursday that 4,616 new cases of coronavirus have been identified in Iran in the past 24 hours, and 257 people have died from COVID-19. This is the fifth consecutive day that the number of victims has exceeded 250.
Despite the relative decrease in cases and deaths compared to the previous day, what makes the situation worrisome is the continuation of an upward trend that began in the last weeks of September and continues with greater intensity in October.
In the past 11 days, there have only been two days where the number of new cases was slightly below 4,000, and on the other days, it was higher. Such a trend has never been seen before in Iran.
This unprecedented trend is also visible in the number of deaths. In the past 12 days, only one day has the number of victims been slightly below 200, and in that time the record for deaths in a single day has been broken several times.
Mohammad Ali Mohseni Bandpay, a representative of Nowshahr in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, says that the Mazandaran Provincial Assembly of Representatives has written a letter to President Hassan Rouhani demanding the closure of roads leading to the northern provinces during the upcoming holidays.
Coronavirus "Travel Souvenirs"
He says that if the government does not use "negative behaviors" to prevent unnecessary travel and force people to follow health guidelines, "bad things will happen."
This concern is not limited to the northern provinces. Vahid Ahmadi-Tabatabai, deputy director of health at Kerman University of Medical Sciences, called the situation in the province “bright red” and warned that those who go on unnecessary trips “will only bring the coronavirus as a souvenir.”
He told ISNA news agency on Thursday: "Unfortunately, we have had cases in the province where several members of the same family have lost their lives within a few days due to coronavirus."
The sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks has faced almost all provinces of Iran with the problem of a shortage of beds and facilities and increased "fatigue and burnout" of medical staff.
Admitting to hiding the truth about the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak
The managers of two hospitals in Tehran, Modares and Sina, announced on Tuesday that a total of 620 of their medical staff have been infected with the coronavirus, and that their entire capacity to accept coronavirus patients has been completed.
Alireza Zali called Tuesday "one of the bitterest days of the coronavirus in the capital" and expressed regret that "in the 253 days that have passed since the coronavirus crisis in the province," the death toll has never been this high.
Zali's statements implicitly confirm the accusation against the Islamic Republic government of concealing the time when the coronavirus outbreak began in Iran.
According to the official narrative, the presence of a coronavirus patient in Iran was confirmed on the last day of February, but 253 days have passed since Zali spoke about it, which is the middle of this month.
Based on the evidence that exists, and some officials have emphasized its accuracy in various ways, government officials were aware of the coronavirus outbreak long before the announced time, but they hid it as much as possible in order to draw people to the 12th Bahman march and to the polls in the parliamentary elections (2nd Esfand).
Source: DW
