Coronavirus in Iran; 194 deaths in one day, Mashhad in red status, Tehran in alert status
More than 18 provinces in the country have been placed on red alert. However, a nationwide exam is scheduled to be held. The coronavirus outbreak has become more severe in Tehran and Mashhad, and 17 cities in Khorasan Razavi have declared a red alert.
Sima Lari, a spokeswoman for the Iranian Ministry of Health, announced in the latest statistics presented on Sunday, July 12, that 2,186 new COVID-19 patients were identified and 194 people died in the past 24 hours. She announced the total number of deaths from the disease at 12,829.
According to the Ministry of Health spokesperson, 3,359 patients with COVID-19 are under observation in severe condition.
The Ministry of Health spokesman named the provinces of Khuzestan, Khorasan Razavi, West Azerbaijan, and Mazandaran as being in "red status," and the provinces of Tehran, Fars, Kerman, Alborz, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad, Golestan, Bushehr, Hormozgan, and East Azerbaijan as being in "alert status."
The situation in Tehran has also been declared dangerous. Alireza Zali, head of the coronavirus response headquarters in Tehran, called the situation in Tehran dangerous and asked the governor to ban gatherings of more than ten people in the capital and to prevent any weddings or mourning ceremonies. Zali did not comment on the ban on holding national university exams.
National university exams will be held.
Iraj Harirchi, Deputy General of the Ministry of Health, announced on Sunday, July 12, the holding of a national exam amid the acute coronavirus situation. The Health Ministry official said that universities should not be closed and that candidates for the entrance exam can participate in the national exam by wearing masks and observing social distancing.
The Deputy Minister of Health argued: "The entire duration of the entrance exam and the participants in this exam are not as dangerous as two visits to shopping malls in cities, including Tehran. In fact, several thousand people visit shopping malls in large numbers, and even second-hand markets in some provinces are bustling with people."
Harirchi also argued that it is not possible to open cinemas on the one hand and close the university on the other, and this is not possible.
Coronavirus restrictions do not apply.
However, some Tehran city officials protested the lack of implementation of coronavirus restrictions. Zahra Nejad Bahram, a member of the presidium of the Tehran City Council, has reported and criticized the critical situation of the second peak in Tehran, even though more than 18 provinces are in a state of alert and red, the situation is still being managed in a way that seems to be in a post-corona situation.
Nejadbahram said that on average, more than 600 new coronavirus patients are hospitalized in Tehran every day, and 70 people in Tehran lose their lives due to COVID-19.
Nejadbahram noted that Iran had the highest number of coronavirus deaths among the three countries last week.
The situation in Mashhad is critical and 17 cities in Khorasan Razavi are in red.
In addition to Tehran, the city of Mashhad, Iran's second largest metropolis, has also been declared to have more severe coronavirus conditions.
Mohammad Hossein Bahreini Toosi, president of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, says that the number of hospitalized coronavirus patients in hospitals under the care of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences is increasing day by day, and the city's major hospitals are 100% dedicated to coronavirus patients.
In Khorasan Razavi Province, of which Mashhad is the capital, a red status has been declared in 17 counties.
Source: DW
