Alireza Zali’s Revelations: We Only Have Vaccine for Five Days

The commander of Tehran’s coronavirus task force has made unprecedented revelations about the concealment of death toll statistics and obstruction of vaccine imports. He has warned that a two-week shutdown is necessary, otherwise the coming weeks will bring bad news.

The escalating coronavirus crisis and healthcare and medical constraints have compelled the commander of Tehran’s coronavirus task force to reveal hidden matters. Alireza Zali said that when he called for quarantining the city of Qom and suspending elections after the first case of infection, he was ridiculed.

According to ISNA news agency quoting Zali: “When World Health Organization experts came to Iran, instead of consulting with them, we constantly asked them to praise Iran’s health system in the media. We hid the death toll statistics from the World Health Organization.”

He also recalled the rejection of Doctors Without Borders’ medical assistance at the airport and, challenging China, said: “Why doesn’t China, our close friend, provide us with sufficient vaccine?”

In early April 2020, a chartered aircraft of Doctors Without Borders carrying a field hospital, medicines, masks, special medical staff clothing, and other health items from the French city of Bordeaux destined for Tehran was not allowed to unload its equipment and provide assistance, and was sent back.

Hossein Shariatmadari, editor-in-chief of Kayhan newspaper, said in this regard: “These apparently borderless doctors, from which border have they entered the country, and are they not coming with ulterior motives?”

Zali added regarding the slow pace of vaccination and shortages that they did not allow purchases under the pretext of expensive vaccine, while now the cost of coronavirus medicines has become several times the cost of vaccine imports: “Even if necessary, we should have spent double the price to buy vaccine to prevent infections and deaths… We have much more bitter news for the coming weeks and the situation will become much worse.”

He revealed that vaccine reserves only last for five days and therefore vaccination speed cannot be increased: “We spent 720 million euros on Remdesivir and this money should have been spent on vaccine. How are we willing to buy oil equipment at triple the price under sanctions but not do the same for vaccine?”

These statements show how much importance or priority people’s lives have for officials and decision-makers. Zali said there is no way except a two-week shutdown to control the fifth peak of coronavirus in Iran and this shutdown must be implemented immediately. He had warned three weeks earlier that Tehran’s situation was worse than the reports published by media.

The commander of Tehran’s coronavirus task force also revealed the sluggishness of Islamic Republic ambassadors in other countries in securing vaccine and said: “I spoke with the Japanese ambassador, he said the Iranian ambassador hasn’t even looked for vaccine. What kind of diplomacy is this?”

Zali’s revelations and complaints came on a day when the Islamic Republic’s leader for the first time since the start of the pandemic called coronavirus a national priority and demanded vaccine provision by any possible means, whether through imports or domestic production. He, who had banned imports of American and British vaccines in December 2020, claimed that before domestic vaccine production, foreign sellers “broke their promises” despite being paid for the vaccine.

Khamenei, who uses the words “enemy” or “conspiracy” in most of his speeches, on March 23, 2020, in response to America’s offer of aid to Iran, had said: “…When Americans are accused of producing this virus, what rational person would accept help from this country. Americans cannot be trusted because they might send drugs that make the virus more prevalent or permanent in Iran, or they might even send people as healers to see the effectiveness of this virus that is said to be partly specifically made for Iran, and complete their information and increase their enmity.”

Source: DW