While media around the world are nonstop covering the news of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh’s death, COVID-19 breaks another daily record. For the first time since the epidemic began in Iran more than 9 months ago, number of daily coronavirus infections surpassed 14,000! According to the undercounted and manipulated data provided by Ministry of Health, 14,051 new cases tested positive in the past 24 hours and 406 lost their lives. The entire country remains critical.
However, it seems like Islamic Republic officials are backing down on their “2-week lockdown plan” a week after it started. According to officials, banks are not closed from tomorrow and they’re categorized as “essential business.” Across the country, provinces announce only “red” cities will be closed and not the “orange” ones as before. With banks not closed, it’s almost impossible to keep people at home. Authorities are to decide about more “restrictions or lifting of them” tomorrow at the National Task Force weekly meeting.
COVID-19 situation in Fars province has been worsening and breaking daily death records but the Ministry keeps reporting it as “orange.” In this devastating situation, Friday Prayers Sermons have been held in many cities across the country.
Basic Reproduction Rate (R0) reached 4.26 indicating acceleration in spread of coronavirus. Graphs depict ever growing number of active and critical cases. Number of tests decreased by about 2,500 tests from yesterday but positivity rate increased from 32.85% to 35.37%. Number of recoveries decreased as well.
R0: 4.26
Total: 922,397 (+14,051)
Dead: 47,095 (+406)
Recovered: 640,065
Critical: 5,860 (+11)
Admitted: 235,237 (+6,855)
Tests: 5,995,445 (7.2% of the population, assuming each test was performed on 1 person)
Cover: Javad Mirzaei
