Risk of daily deaths from coronavirus reaching 1,000 in Iran

Hassan Rouhani has issued a statement saying that officials should act “without complacency” to combat the third wave of COVID-19. This comes as Health Ministry officials have warned of the risk of the country’s COVID-19 death toll reaching 1,000 daily.

The latest death toll from the coronavirus in Iran has set a new record. According to ISNA news agency, Sima Sadat Lari, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health, said that 459 people have died and 12,000 have been infected.

543 new cases have been reported in one day. This brings the official total death toll to 41,493 and the total number of COVID-19 patients in the country to 762,068.

Presidential Statement

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani issued a statement on Sunday, November 15, regarding the third wave of COVID-19 in Iran. The statement said that, at the suggestion of the Ministry of Health and the COVID-19 Operations Headquarters, a "comprehensive plan to combat COVID-19" was approved by the National COVID-19 Headquarters, which will require the imposition of severe restrictions in various cities in the country starting next week.

According to IRNA, the statement, in eight paragraphs, speaks of “the general mobilization of the nation and the government” to confront the coronavirus. “All government agencies and other powers and institutions” are called upon to strictly implement the decisions of the National Coronavirus Task Force and to use all means to assist the Ministry of Health and the country’s medical staff.

Rouhani has asked the Planning and Budget Organization to "urgently provide the funds needed by the Ministry of Health and other responsible agencies in combating the coronavirus" in implementing this plan.

The President has asked the Ministry of Health to "fully and without leniency implement the plan to monitor the quarantine of infected people and identify contact circles and warn, and if necessary, impose fines."

He has called on the police and the Basij to fully implement, without exception, disciplinary decisions regarding social distancing regulations and severe health restrictions, and "for officers to take action to fine the very small minority of violators who endanger the health security of society."

Rouhani has "appealed" to the people to consider compliance with the regulations to combat the coronavirus as their "religious and social duty" and not to tolerate any kind of negligence in this regard.

Two-week vacation offer in Tehran

Mohsen Hashemi, the head of Tehran City Council, has said that the government should close Tehran for two weeks, referring to the Ministry of Health's warning about the risk of 1,000 deaths per day.

According to Hamshahri Online, Hashemi said, "By reducing the hours of operation of guilds and the public transportation system, it has only increased congestion, which is a factor in exacerbating the spread of the coronavirus. The proposal of the Tehran City Council is a complete two-week shutdown of all non-essential activities to reduce citizen traffic."

Mohsen Hashemi assured the President that this plan has been approved by experts from the Tehran Council Health Commission, the Tehran Coronavirus Response Headquarters, and the Tehran Governor's Office.

The head of the Tehran City Council, however, did not say what will happen to people's livelihoods in a situation where a metropolis like Tehran is closed. The Rouhani government has not provided any assistance to the people so far and is also unable to provide widespread hygiene supplies to people nationwide.

A member of the Parliament's Health and Medical Services Committee also says that in the nine months since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, only 50% of the one billion euros that was supposed to be made available to the Ministry of Health and Medical Services has been realized.

Mohammad Ali Mohseni Bandpay, in an interview with ILNA, said about the restrictions on businesses from 6 p.m., which have been imposed by the National Center for Combating Corona over the past week: "I believe that the restrictions on movement and strict protocols should continue seriously; because if you look at the actions of countries that have been able to pay the least cost in response to the consequences of Corona, implementing these strict protocols has helped them."

The representative of Nowshahr and Chalus adds that perhaps after 6 p.m., people will be less economically pressured: "We can't tell people not to go to work and stay home because what will happen to their lives? I think the start time of the restrictions is independent of office and work hours, and we can ask people in the community to stay home because their presence at home will definitely have fewer consequences."

Source: DW