Officials warn of coronavirus infection during Chaharshanbeh Suri ceremonies; "seventh wave" may arrive after Nowruz holiday

The head of Tehran's Shahid Motahari Burn and Trauma Hospital warned about the possibility of contracting the coronavirus at the Chaharshanbeh Soori ceremony. Mostafa Dehmardei said that social gatherings should be avoided. He also emphasized that burns weaken the immune system and make a person more vulnerable to contracting the coronavirus.

At the same time, a spokesman for the country's emergency organization said: "We thought citizens would comply, but about 200 people were injured and four died."

Mojtaba Khalidi said the number of casualties on the last Wednesday of the year was higher than during the same period last year.

According to statistics from the Iranian Ministry of Health, coronavirus cases and deaths in Iran have continued to increase.

According to these statistics, 3,223 new cases have been confirmed in the country from March 13 to 14.

Also, in the past 24 hours, 117 more people lost their lives due to coronavirus.

Currently, 2,531 patients with coronavirus are being cared for in intensive care units.

The head of the Health and Prevention Working Group of the Operational Headquarters of the Corona Countermeasures Headquarters has said that society is still at risk of facing subsequent waves. Hamid Suri added that there has not yet been a "fundamental change" that would allow people to behave normally.

He said: "It is possible that we will face the seventh peak of Corona after the Nowruz holidays. So we should not be optimistic."

The president of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences also says that the increase in family travel and Nowruz trips to East Azerbaijan is "predictable." Bahman Naqipour said that Nowruz trips without following protocols will be "harmful."

The rate of compliance with health protocols in the country is estimated at 58 percent.

According to media reports in Iran, about 56% of people wear masks in public places.

Warnings about adhering to health protocols in Iran come despite the lack of oversight in this regard. Earlier, the head of the Health and Prevention Working Group of the National Headquarters for Combating Corona told “Society 24” that the country’s health interventions have not been “very effective” in the outcome of the Covid-19 disease.

Source: Voice of America