Delta crisis in Sistan-Baluchestan, Tehran, Hormozgan, Kerman, Bushehr and other provinces across Iran continues. The Delta (Indian) strain has stretched its reach across the country, infesting Gilan, Mazandaran and Golestan in the northern belt and causing COVID-19 patients overload hospitals. Shortage of oxygen generators, healthcare professionals and water exacerbate the overwhelming situation. Islamic Republic officials, particularly the Health Minister, have resigned from their duties by sitting on their hands and waiting for their term to be over in August.
According to Dr. Karimi, head of infectious-disease ward at Mofid Children’s Hospital in Tehran, even children are not spared by the Delta variant and would require hospitalizations. He continued their beds are all occupied and need more beds. He requested the officials to speed up the vaccination process and “value human life!” On the other hand, Health Minister claimed authorities are not doing their jobs and when a city is announced as “red” by the Ministry, “it is as if it is blue,” referring to non-implementation of COVID-19 restrictions during the fifth wave of coronavirus. Saeed Namaki postponed the decision about reopening schools in September to a later time.
Meanwhile, President of City Taxi Drivers’ Unions demanded drivers to be added to the list of vaccination priorities. Morteza Zameni reported more than 700 COVID-19 deaths and more than 10,000 infections since the epidemic began in Iran 17 months ago, and rebuked the government for classifying his profession as “high risk” but not vaccinate the drivers.
On the vaccination front, Saeed Namaki continues his misinformation campaign and lies. Despite the state-run poll published yesterday, he claimed “most people are satisfied with the process!” They are so satisfied that prefer to sleep on the streets of a strange land to get a jab of COVID-19 vaccines rather than waiting forever in Iran.
Ministry of Health announced total of 7,938,263 shots have been administered in Iran since February 9 and only 2,249,811 have received both shots of AstraZeneca (COVAX), Covaxin (India), Sputnik V (Russia) and Sinopharm (China), all of which are not effective against Delta or Delta Plus variants.
Despite daily reports of COVID-19 numbers have been criticized and dismissed by many professionals, and Iran Medical Board estimates the real figures are at least 3 times higher, Ministry of Health Spokesperson claimed 199 died of COVID-19 in Iran in the past 24 hours and 21,885 tested positive for the novel coronavirus. As seen on the graphs, daily PCR tests continue to decline while active and critical cases soar.
R0: 2.85
Total: 3,485,940 (+21,885)
Dead: 86,791 (+199)
Recovered: 3,101,618
Critical: 4,135 (+71)
Active Cases: 297,531 (+6,085)
Tests: 24,892,912 (29.6% of the population, assuming each test was performed on 1 person)
Cover: Alireza Masoumi
