Corona in Iran; Second phase of vaccination begins, elderly in long lines to receive vaccine

Ministry of Health statistics show that 434 patients infected with coronavirus have died in Iran in the past 24 hours. Thus, the total number of deaths reached 70,966. Many doubt the accuracy of the official statistics, and even the Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly announced that the actual number of infections and deaths is several times higher than the official figures.

Start of the second phase of vaccination 

While the second phase of vaccination has begun in Iran, there is still uncertainty about how to register and receive the vaccine.

After news of in-person registration and crowds in front of vaccination centers was published, Alireza Raisi, spokesman for the National Headquarters for Combating Corona, said that there is no need to go in person to register and that people will be sent text messages based on vaccine availability.

Mr. Raisi said that a system will soon be launched so that people who have "missed out" can register their national ID number there and have it sent to them by SMS.

Meanwhile, social journalist "Rokna" published a video of people over 80 years old queuing for vaccination in Tehran and wrote that if this process continues, "they will get coronavirus before the vaccine."

According to statistics from the Iranian Ministry of Health, the total number of vaccines administered has reached 938,754 doses.

Delay in notifying border traffic restrictions to India and Pakistan

While concerns about the spread of the Indian mutant virus in Iran have intensified in recent days, the border traffic restrictions were communicated to institutions active at the border with a delay of several days.

According to a spokesman for Iranian Customs, 192 passengers were traveling through the Mirjaveh and Rimdan borders.

Ruhollah Latifi said that as of Wednesday, May 28, passenger traffic at the Mirjaveh border between Pakistan and Iran has been banned, as the official border with Iran, but citizens of both sides will be allowed to return to their countries.

Previously, the deputy health minister of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences told ISNA news agency that 20 Indian nationals had entered Bushehr province, and the test results of 5 of these people were reported positive and 3 were reported as "suspicious."

Higher statistics than India and failure to implement protocols

Although India has made headlines worldwide for its severe coronavirus situation, if the infection and death statistics are measured based on population, Iran ranks higher than India in terms of daily infection and death rates.

Iranian health officials say that about 48,000 coronavirus patients violated quarantine, and many of them traveled more than a thousand kilometers across the country.

Iraj Harirchi, Deputy Minister of Health, has stated that compliance with protocols is 60 percent. According to Mr. Harirchi, the plan to fine violators 200,000 Tomans has not been a "deterrent."

Meanwhile, Babak Dinparast, the secretary of the operational headquarters for combating the coronavirus, has written a letter to the police demanding that fines be imposed for violating quarantine. According to Mr. Dinparast, in some cases, a patient has violated quarantine up to 14 times.

Source: Voice of America