Thursday afternoon, Sima Sadat Lari announced 18 counties as “orange” and 124 as “yellow.” However, a few hours later, head of Ministry of Health Public Relations Office tweeted the numbers have changed! While each county’s “color” is determined based on number of cases per 100,000, in a span of hours, “orange” counties doubled! Jahanpur reported 36 “orange” and 178 “yellow” counties across Iran. COVID-19 cases have been on the rise after a temporary decline according to the Ministry of Health manipulated data. Iran Medical Council authorities have said the numbers are at least 3-4 times highter.
Fars, Kermanshah, Kohgiloyeh-Boyerahmad, Lorestan, Khuzestan, North Khorasan, South Khorasan, Semnan, Tehran, Mazandaran, Gilan, Golestan and Zanjan have reported soaring cases and walk-ins, warning about the “fourth” wave of coronavirus. Traffic Police announced non-resident cars, based on license plates, are forbidden from traveling to northern provinces and other tourist hot spots such as Kish Island, Mashhad, Shiraz, Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, and Isfahan. Health experts emphasize the next wave could be deadlier and longer due to virus mutations.
Backlash from Ansarian and Minavand deaths continue! Celebrities joined the call for authorities to buy a “reliable vaccine” however possible! Islamic Republic officials have been promising about vaccines for months now without any action. While many countries have started inoculation of their citizens from 2 months ago, Iran is on the verge of its next wave of the disease!
According to reports, first batch of Sputnik V have been delivered by Mahan Air today, which, according to many experts, was the origin of coronavirus in Iran. There’s still no news on who and how would get the vaccine. If history is any indication, regime officials and their families would be the first in line, not hospital workers. Islamic Republic Ambassador to Russia confirms 500,000 doses have been agreed upon. Jalali said the second batch will arrive by February 18 and the third part 10 days later.
According to the Ministry of Health Spokesman, 67 died of COVID-19 in Iran in the past 24 hours while 7,040 tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Testing remains in the same range while positivity rate continues to rise, it was 12.56% yesterday and 12.73% today. Active cases increased by 783. Basic Reproduction Rate (R0) and graphs show the next wave is shaping up.
R0: 4.17
Total: 1,445,326 (+7,040)
Dead: 58,256 (+67)
Recovered: 1,235,581
Critical: 3,825 (-13)
Admitted: 151,489 (+783)
Tests: 9,504,930 (11.4% of the population, assuming each test was performed on 1 person)
Cover: Maryam Kamyabi
