Ministry of Health updated the list of high risk areas across Iran. According to this list, 301 cities are “red”, 95 “orange”, 45 “yellow” and 7 “blue.” 90% of the country is in “red and orange” areas. COVID-19 hospitalizations have soared. Dr. Mardani, a member of National Task Force, confirmed hospitals are at full capacity in majority of the cities and patients are injected with emergency medicine such as remdesivir and given oxygen outside hospitals! He called the situation “beyond critical” throughout the country.
COVID-19 continues breaking records in provinces. Gilan reports increasing number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Fars set a record for patient admissions in the past 14 months. Arak hospitals are all at full capacity and in need of field hospitals. Khuzestan remains critical with continued rise in cases. Hospitals across the province are filled with patients, forcing officials to transfer patients to other cities for admission. East Azerbaijan’s daily death toll has increased 10 times from 3 weeks ago while hospitals have quadrupled.
Meanwhile, Islamic Republic officials continue to blame people for the current COVID-19 tsunami. Deputy Health Minister Harirchi dubbed people who break their quarantine “suicide bombers.” He claimed 42,598 violated their quarantine risking their lives and spreading coronavirus to others. He said quarantine is the best way to stop the virus. Harirchi had claimed “quarantine is for pre-war era and ineffective,” when coronavirus epidemic began in Iran and experts recommended quarantining Qom and Gilan as epicenters.
While neighboring countries are increasing their vaccination pace, Islamic Republic vaccination charade continues. Health Minister pushed back the date for completion of the first phase of National Vaccination Guideline once again, claiming 1 million dose will be administered by April 27. According to official Ministry of Health stats, since February 9, 550,131 shots have been injected and only 134,047 (0.16%) have been fully vaccinated.
Despite Khamenei banning the purchase of US made vaccines, a video has surfaced on social media, claiming to be selling Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Iran! FDA Spokesman said they may have smuggled the vaccines into the country.
Ministry of Health Spokesperson presented her daily manipulated and undercounted data, even though Iran Medical Board officials have admitted the real numbers are at least 3 times higher. Sima Sadat Lari claimed 398 died of COVID-19 in Iran in the past 24 hours while 24,346 tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Daily tests remain in the same range. Critical and active cases continue to reach new highs every day, as seen on the graphs.
R0: 3.82
Total: 2,261,435 (+24,346)
Dead: 67,130 (+398)
Recovered: 1,797,319
Critical: 4,843 (+77)
Active Cases: 396,986 (+11,987)
Tests: 14,500,519 (17.3% of the population, assuming each test was performed on 1 person)
Cover: Alireza Nasri
