Iran’s Health Ministry: Peak of ‘Fourth Wave’ of Coronavirus Is Certain
Iran’s Health Ministry on Thursday, April 1st, sent an alarming text message to citizens warning of the certainty of the peak of the coronavirus crisis outbreak across the country.
AliREZA Raisi, spokesperson for the National Coronavirus Combating Headquarters, had announced in recent days that the peak of the ‘fourth wave’ has begun from the western belt and central cities of Iran and is progressing toward the east of the country. Currently, West Azerbaijan is witnessing the peak of coronavirus spread.
According to Mr. Raisi, during the Nowruz holidays, more than 15,000 coronavirus patients traveled.
Iranian Health Ministry officials are providing daily statistics of coronavirus infections and deaths to the media at a time when there are serious doubts about the accuracy of these figures, and Iran’s Medical System Organization considers the number of victims to be three to four times higher than official figures.
In today’s text message, the Health Ministry also emphasized the ‘rapid’ increase in the number of coronavirus cases in most parts of the country.
Officials asked people to avoid leaving their homes for ‘Sizdah Bedar’ while observing health protocols including wearing masks, and to refrain from family gatherings.
With the announcement of an orange alert in Tehran and the ban on entry and exit of non-local vehicles, gatherings on the occasion of Sizdah Bedar and Friday prayers on April 2nd were prohibited.
Tehran’s Traffic Police also announced on Thursday the deployment of forces at all entrances to parks and recreational facilities in Tehran.
In this regard, the Deputy Interior Minister and Head of the Organization of Municipalities and Village Councils, referring to the prohibition of entry to parks and green spaces in red and orange cities across the country, said: ‘Entry to parks and green spaces in Tehran will be prohibited from 4 AM on April 2nd.’
The Health Ministry’s news channel had previously listed Nowruz visits, wedding or mourning ceremonies, gatherings in restaurants, banquet halls and hotel restaurants, use of public transportation especially buses and trains, and reduced levels of health care and mask use as important factors in what it called the ‘new surge’ of coronavirus in the country.
These points are being stated at a time when the Hassan Rouhani government has not actually implemented widespread quarantine restrictions to control the situation and has mostly relied on recommendations and warnings.
Source: Radio Farda
