Omicron variant (B11529) of the novel coronavirus has created a huge concern for all countries, Iran included. Islamic Republic officials announced nobody traveling from “South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Eswatini” will be allowed inside Iran without 2 negative PCR tests and several days of quarantine at the border. However, the same “protocols” were supposedly enforced for Alpha and Delta as well but they both caused a huge wave of COVID-19 cases and deaths.
In the meantime, the vaccination rate has reached to one of its lowest levels in the past few months. According to official data, since February 9, total of 104,284,578 doses have been administered in Iran, of which only 46,115,125 (54.89% of population) have been the second shot of these vaccines. More than 80% of total shots used in the country have been the ineffective Chinese Sinopharm, which needs 3 doses to be considered “fully vaccinated.” The same data indicate that only 921,440 (1.09% of population) have received 3 shots.
On the other hand, the Islamic Republic Ministry of Health announced there is no “red” city in the country anymore! While Kerman, Sistan-Baluchestan, South Khorasan, Khuzestan and Fars continue to report increasing number of cases and hospitalizations and for the first time in weeks, critical cases have increased, the Ministry’s flawed system indicate “everything is good!” The Islamic Republic encourages people to go back to normal with these false reports, and as soon as a surge happens, it is all blamed on the people.
The Ministry of Health Spokesperson claimed 86 have died of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours and 4,384 tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Professor of Epidemiology at Tehran University believes these numbers must be multiplied by 7 and Civil Registration Organization data show more than 309,000 have died of the disease since February 2020. Graphs illustrate the ongoing crisis in Iran and forming of the new wave.
R0: 1.90
Total: 6,102,056 (+4,384)
Dead: 129,462 (+86)
Recovered: 5,841,870
Critical: 3,372 (+4)
Active Cases: 130,724 (-6,919)
Total Tests: 38,331,546
Cover: Mohammadreza Farbod
