For the second day in a row, the number of deaths have decreased and reached below 400 a day. According to the manipulated data provided by the Ministry of Health Spokesperson, 389 died of COVID-19 in Iran in the past 24 hours while 12,950 tested positive for coronavirus. The daily statistics provided by Lari sometimes have caused confusion for WHO as well! In another example of incompetency in simple math, the official news agencies of the government reported total number of deaths as 47,874, when it should be 47,875! WHO hasn’t corrected that number since it was reported but state-controlled media ratified the issue! Sima Sadat Lari also mentioned the entire country is still critical.
Saeed Namaki said this decline in numbers should not fool anybody and people should take situation very seriously. The decrease in numbers happen when only 10 days have passed from a very relaxed “lockdown” in 150 cities across the country. However, health experts warn nothing has changed. With relaxation of some of the restrictions this week and opening of some businesses only after 10 days, the traffic in Tehran and other major cities has increased again. Health experts and officials had said any effect would show itself at least 3 weeks after the “2-week lockdown.”
With Basic Reproduction Rate (R0) at 4.37 and increased virulence of the novel cornavirus, another flood of patients is expected again unless the Islamic Republic can somehow rebrand the Russian or Chinese vaccines and prevent worsening of the already fragile circumstances in the country. Graphs show how COVID-19 have been raging throughout the country for more than 9 months. Testing remains around 43,000 by testing only 7.3% of the population.
R0: 4.37
Total: 948,749 (+12,950)
Dead: 47,875 (+389)
Recovered: 658,292
Critical: 5,859 (-6)
Admitted: 242,582 (+3,100)
Tests: 6,081,952 (7.3% of the population, assuming each test was performed on 1 person)
Cover: Alireza Masoumi
