Corona in Iran; 194 Deaths in One Day, Mashhad in Red Status, Tehran in Alert Status
More than 18 provinces across the country are in red and alert status. Nevertheless, the nationwide university entrance examination is scheduled to be held. The spread of coronavirus has intensified in Tehran and Mashhad, and red status has been declared in 17 cities in Razavi Khorasan Province.
Sima Lari, spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Health, in the latest statistics presented on Sunday, July 12 (22 Tir), reported the identification of 2,186 new COVID-19 patients and 194 deaths in the past 24 hours. She announced the total death toll from the disease at 12,829 people.
According to the health ministry spokesperson, 3,359 COVID-19 patients are under intensive care in severe condition.
The health ministry spokesperson named Khuzestan, Razavi Khorasan, West Azerbaijan, and Mazandaran provinces in “red status” and Tehran, Fars, Kerman, Alborz, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Golestan, Bushehr, Hormozgan, and East Azerbaijan provinces as provinces in “alert status.”
The status of Tehran city has also been declared dangerous. Alireza Zali, head of the coronavirus task force in Tehran, called Tehran’s situation dangerous and asked the governor to ban gatherings of more than ten people in the capital and prevent the holding of any weddings and mourning ceremonies. Zali did not comment on the prohibition of holding the nationwide university entrance examination.
University Entrance Examination Will Be Held
Iraj Harirchi, Deputy Minister of Health, announced on Sunday, July 12 the holding of the nationwide entrance examination amid severe coronavirus conditions. The health ministry official said universities should not be closed and examination candidates can participate in the nationwide entrance examination by wearing masks and maintaining social distance.
The deputy minister of health argued: “The entire duration of the entrance examination and its participants poses no more danger than two visits to shopping centers in cities, including Tehran. In fact, thousands of people visit shopping centers in crowds, and even secondhand markets in some provinces are suffering from overcrowding.”
Harirchi further argued that it is not possible to open cinemas on one hand and close universities on the other, and this is not feasible.
Coronavirus Restrictions Are Not Being Implemented
Nevertheless, some Tehran city officials have protested the non-implementation of coronavirus restrictions. Zahra Nejadebharam, a member of the Tehran City Council Presidium, has reported the critical conditions of the second peak in Tehran and criticized the fact that although more than 18 provinces are in alert and red status, the situation continues to be managed in a way that suggests we are in a post-coronavirus situation.
Nejadebharam said that on average more than 600 new coronavirus patients are hospitalized daily in Tehran and 70 people in Tehran lose their lives due to COVID-19.
Nejadebharam emphasized that Iran was among the three countries with the highest coronavirus-related deaths in the past week.
Mashhad Situation is Acute and 17 Cities in Razavi Khorasan Province are in Red Status
Beyond Tehran, in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city, the conditions for the spread of coronavirus have also been declared more acute.
Mohammad Hossein Bahreiniy Toosi, head of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, says the number of hospitalized coronavirus patients in hospitals under Mashhad University of Medical Sciences coverage is increasing day by day, and the major hospitals in this city have been allocated 100 percent to coronavirus patients.
In Razavi Khorasan Province, of which Mashhad is the center, red status has been declared in 17 cities and towns.
Source: DW
