Tasoua and Ashura, 9th and 10th day of Muharram which correspond with killing of Hossein (the third Shia Imam), are the busiest and main days of mourning gatherings in Iran. Amid Delta variant wave which has been breaking every record set in the past 18 months on a daily basis, Islamic Republic has encouraged crowded assemblies. Even Khamenei has called them “cause for blessings.” Today, Police in Qom admitted they wouldn’t be able to stop the gatherings and marches across the province by force! It is notable, ISNA, state-run news agency, deleted the report from its website after a few minutes. For months, Islamic Propaganda Organization, under direct supervision of Khamenei, had been ademant that no Muharram gathering will be canceled with “COVID-19 excuse!”
Meanwhile, Deputy Health Minister Harirchi estimated that about 220,000 Iranians contract coronavirus every day, but the majority do not take a test. He had previously admitted that the real number of cases and deaths are “definitely much higher” than the daily report by the Ministry of Health. Even though the official average daily deaths in the past few days have been about 600, the recent release of data by Civil Registration Organization shows more than 200,000 have died of COVID-19 in Iran from February 2020 to August 6, 2021! Since August 6 including today’s 583, more than 7,000 have passed away, according to the Ministry’s report.
Hospitals have no more room to accommodate beds or patients. Field hospitals get filled as soon as they are ready and healthcare staff are too exhausted to be able to handle the score of patients. Some hospitals, such as Shush’s only one, have no physician to attend to patients in the ER!
Ardabil reports “critical” situation with more than 830 COVID-19 hospitalized patients. In Fars, more than 2/3 of the dead were below 60 years of age. The province has set new records in its death toll since the epidemic began in Iran, more than 18 months ago. 3,460 are hospitalized in Mazandaran hospitals, a new high for the province. Zanjan hospitals are reaching their capacity with increasing number of cases. More than 1,000 tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Qazvin alone, in the past 24 hours. Death toll in Hormozgan continues to soar. Kermanshah Governor says the fifth peak is getting “harder and harder by the second” and the situation is “dangerous” in his province. Gilan officials reiterated the same point, “Delta involves all unvaccinated!”
Despite all the hell going on in Iran and bodies piling up in every cemetery in the country, Islamic Republic officials are busy attending Muharram gatherings and mourning the dead of a 1400-year-old war. The slow and ineffective vaccination continues. The chaotic process in Tehran caused residents to protest the policies of the regime on COVID-19 vaccination. The long lines and refusing people with appointments have been prevalent across the country.
According to the Ministry of Health, total of 21,112,564 shots have been administered in Iran, and only 5,063,519 (6.02% of population) have received both doses of ineffective Sinopharm, COVIran Barekat, Sputnik V and AstraZeneca. A few have been jabbed with Covaxin as well.
Ministry of Health Spokesperson claimed 583 died of COVID-19 in Iran in the past 24 hours and 39,174 tested positive for the novel coronavirus. As seen on the graphs, active and critical cases conquer a new high every day.
R0: 3.08
Total: 4,556,417 (+39,174)
Dead: 99,691 (+583)
Recovered: 3,814,127
Critical: 7,490 (+66)
Active Cases: 642,599 (+10,952)
Total Tests: 27,485,096
Cover: Vahid Khademi
