Corona in Iran; Declining Protocol Compliance, Rising Red-Zone Cities
Health protocol compliance in Iran has reached its lowest level in five months, while the number of new hospital admissions has hit its highest in three months. The number of cities in red coronavirus status has nearly doubled in about a week.
Noruz shopping and travel in Iran are showing their negative effects on increasing coronavirus cases and COVID-19 hospitalizations sooner than anticipated.
The Health Ministry spokesperson says the declining trend in compliance with health guidelines began in late Esfand and reached its lowest level in the past five months in the early days of Farvardin.
According to the ISNA news agency, Sima Sadat Lari said on Sunday, the 8th of Farvardin, that health protocol compliance has fallen to just below 58 percent, the lowest level since the 30th of Mehr. Some officials have cited this figure as low as 56 percent.
Referring to intensified health inspections from the final days of Esfand, she added that in the week leading up to the 4th of Farvardin, nearly 130,000 inspections were carried out at food production, distribution, sales centers, public places, and workshop units, and “during this period, 16,550 notices were issued with referrals to judicial authorities and 950 of these centers were sealed.”
Highest Daily Admissions Since Azar
According to Lari, the decline in health protocol compliance has led to increased coronavirus cases, and this trend is alarming. She says that in the past 24 hours, 8,751 new cases of coronavirus were identified and 1,049 of them were hospitalized.
The number of hospitalizations on the first day of Farvardin was 657 people. The last time this number exceeded 1,000 was in the final days of Azar month.
The increase in coronavirus cases, which is directly related to higher traffic and travel and neglect of health guidelines, is also evident in the change of coronavirus color-coding of cities.
The National Coronavirus Task Force released the latest color-coded map of different regions of Iran on Saturday, according to which the number of red (very high-risk) and orange (high-risk) cities has increased significantly.
Red Cities Nearly Doubled in the New Year
The Health Ministry spokesperson announced the number of red cities as of Sunday at 23 cities. This number has nearly doubled since the beginning of this year.
Sima Sadat Lari says the number of orange cities in the new year has also increased from 39 to 44 cities. Along with these developments, the number of blue cities (low-risk) in the past month has sharply declined and reached 94 cities.
All evidence and data indicate that Iran is likely entering a new wave of coronavirus outbreak. This has prompted officials to adopt more serious measures, especially to prevent unnecessary and recreational travel.
72-Hour Grace Period for Travelers from Red and Orange Cities
The Deputy Minister of Health says more than 23 million and 500,000 people live in 67 red and orange cities, and this situation is concerning.
According to the IRNA news agency, Iraj Harirchi said on Sunday in a television program: “Travel with non-local license plates to orange and red cities is prohibited, and those who have previously visited these cities have 72 hours from the announcement to leave these areas.”
He emphasized that the metropolis of Tehran has also entered the orange status, and under these circumstances “all schools, universities, seminaries, Friday and congregational prayers, and religious ceremonies must be closed” and fifty percent of office employees should work remotely.
Harirchi says if the declining trend in health protocol compliance continues, there is a possibility of increasing the number of red and orange cities, and given the spread of mutated coronavirus in Iran, “the concerns are serious.”
Based on official Health Ministry statistics, by the 8th of Farvardin, more than 1 million and 855,000 coronavirus cases have been identified in Iran, and nearly 62,400 people with COVID-19 have lost their lives.
Source: DW
