Rouhani, President of Islamic Republic, is again bragging about the slight decline in the manipulated and undercounted data provided by the Ministry of Health, making the same rash decisions in wrong criteria for implementing certain restrictions and premature reopenings! He admits there are still several “beyond red” counties in the country despite “2-week lockdown!” However, the problem with the “smart restrictions plan” is, it’s not strict enough to cut off the chain of coronavirus spread! Instead, it will lead to a slight and short-lived decrease in number of cases and deaths, give some room to healthcare staff to breathe and then the cycle continues! Islamic Republic cannot and will not enforce a full locdown because it can’t, it’ll be the end of its existence if an uprising like November 2019 happens again.
Zanjan, Mazadaran and Kerman report increasing number of cases and deaths despite the lockdown! Fars reported 36 deaths in the past 24 hours despite a decline in cases and deaths in the past 3 days! Regardless of what Rouhani and his administration tries to convey, provincial officials are warning against a stronger resurgence of the virus! Dr. Zali, head of Tehran Corona Combating Committee is one of those officials. He emphasized, “We’re far from fading phase of COVID-19.” He asked people and authorities to be cautious and not think Tehran is stable, because it’s in a fragile state.
Minoo Mohraz, a member of National Task Force, is hopeful the “live virus” COVID-19 vaccine made in Iran, which according to her is similar to the Chinese and Russian ones, will be available by July 2021! She said, even the foreign ones will not be available to Iranians until then, Saeed Namaki had claimed they have pre-ordered vaccines and will be available when it’s approved!. Dr Mohraz said the vaccine has been tested on rabbits, rats and monkeys with 70% efficacy and will start its 3-phase human trials soon.
Today was “College Student Day” in Islamic Republic calendar! On this occasion, medical students and residents voiced their concerns about their education, lack of protective gears, unpaid benefits and wages and strenuous working condition! Students believe their education is negatively impacted not just because of COVID-19 but because of improper planning in curriculum, inadequate online training infrastructure and poor dorm facilities and food!
Sima Sadat Lari reported 294 COVID-19 deaths in Iran since yesterday. The lowest number since October 18! She also announced 11,561 new positive coronavirus test results in the past 24 hours in the country. Number of counties in different “colors” remains the same and so does the restrictions. Testing remains in the same range. Critical cases decreased and active cases slightly increased.
Basic Reproduction Rate (R0) and graphs are the best tools in indicating almost 10 months of human catastrophe in Iran due to regime’s mismanagement and corruption, a crisis that seems to be ongoing at least until July 2021!
R0: 4.60
Total: 1,040,547 (+11,561)
Dead: 50,310 (+294)
Recovered: 730,798
Critical: 5,809 (-8)
Admitted: 259,439 (+177)
Tests: 6,387,019 (7.6% of the population, assuming each test was performed on 1 person)
Cover: Parisa Behzadi
