Islamic Republic Interior Minister announced the 2-week lockdown “suggestion” by the Health Minister is “under review” and the decision will be taken in the next weekly meeting of National COVID-19 Task Force, as if the situation is not urgent enough! Rahmani-Fazli said “It is not possible for now.” Tehran Corona Combating Committee official reported more than 10,000 hospitalized patients, a record since the epidemic began in Iran 17 months ago! Dr. Tavakoli said municipality warehouses are to be used for patients.
Hamedan, Kohgiloyeh-Boyerahmad, Lorestan, Kermanshah, Ardabil, and Qazvin join the list of “black and beyond critical” provinces, such as Gilan, Mazandaran, Tehran, Kerman, Hormozgan, Bushehr, Fars, Khorasan Razavi and Isfahan where Delta is ravaging the healthcare system and people are falling like leaves in the fall.
Dr. Tabarsi, head of Infectious-disease ward at Masih Daneshvari hospital in Tehran, in an interview on national TV, admitted the daily COVID-19 death toll is 700-800! He also warned that the “healthcare system is on the verge of complete collapse.” Tabarsi predicted a tough one month is ahead for everybody in Iran. Nahid Khodakarami, head of Health Commission at Tehran City Council, reported critical condition at the Tehran cemetery (Behesht-e-Zahra) with more than 400 daily deaths, 185+ of which are from COVID-19. She also announced, “each Tehran resident gets a free grave! Although, the family must still pay about 500,000 Toman for washing the dead before burial.”
In addition to the full hospitals, shortage of medications and high number of daily deaths, there are reports that production of saline solution bottles, the most basic and essential item in a hospital setting, is to be stopped soon because the Islamic Republic does not have enough plastic! This report emerges as the regime claims more than 9 COVID-19 vaccines have begun their clinical trials in the country.
The late, slow and chaotic vaccination process continues. While COVIran Barekat developers had promised 50million doses will be manufactured by September 21, according to its records, only 1.5million doses have been delivered to the Ministry of Health till July 31. Pasteur Institute had claimed 120,000 doses of PastoCoVac have been produced too!
However, today, Deputy Head of Razi Institute in Research and Technology cast doubt even on those numbers and all other claims made by the Islamic Republic authorities. Dr. Fallah-Mehrabadi said total of 1million doses of “domestic vaccines” have been produced so far. He admitted the Supreme National Security Council had given subsidized currency to 4 companies for COVID-19 vaccine development but stopped short of giving more details. He also criticized the government for not supporting only a few manufacturers to reach a faster and better result instead of diversifying “so much!” He may have not been aware of the regime’s lucrative business in “domestic vaccines.”
According to official data, total of 13,586,206 shots have been administered since February 9. However, only 2,844,250 are fully vaccinated by ineffective vaccines such as Sinopharm in the past 175 days!
Ministry of Health Spokesperson claimed 378 died of COVID-19 in Iran in the past 24 hours and 39,019 tested positive for the novel coronavirus, a new record in the past 17.5 months! Iran Medical Board and other officials have admitted the real numbers are “much higher” and at least 3 times more than the daily reports. Graphs illustrate the soar of active and critical cases while daily testing reduced and positivity rate reaches a new high: 64.66%.
R0: 3.00
Total: 3,979,727 (+39,019)
Dead: 91,785 (+378)
Recovered: 3,424,650
Critical: 5,793 (+186)
Active Cases: 463,292 (+18,524)
Total Tests: 26,099,787
Cover: Seyed Mohammad Alerasoul
