Mazandaran continues to report increasing number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, with admissions surpassing the recoveries in the province. Head of Kohgiloyeh-Boyerahmad Health Network announced the province is inching towards becoming “red” again. West Azerbaijan has more than 1,410 COVID-19 patients hospitalized and daily cases continue to rise. Tabriz Medical University official admitted the sixth wave is not too far away! And Mashhad Medical University announced its hospitals are prepared to face the next wave of COVID-19 in Iran.
Despite all the warnings and low vaccination rate, Islamic Republic officials persist on reopening schools from October 23 and some from mid-November. According to the Ministry of Health, since February 9, total of 77,641,350 shots have been administered and only 27,604,934 (32.86% of Iran population) have received both doses of these vaccines. More than 81% are inoculated with the ineffective Sinopharm. The unapproved vaccine for under 18, have been used for 12-17 years old students.
Meanwhile, more than 20 months since the epidemic started in Iran and more than a year after Khamenei “ordered” the Ministry of Health to follow up with nurses and resolve their issues, today, Deputy Health Minister in Nursing said he would “try his best” to pay their overdue benefits and their hiring and contracts concerns. Nurses and healthcare staff have been protesting the government for months of overdue wages and benefits for months. On the other hand, medical residents are raising their voice due to their low wages and overwhelming number of working hours. “Residents are under unimaginable amount of psychological pressure,” a representative for the medical residents said. So far, record number of medical residents have committed suicide, during the pandemic.
The Ministry of Health Spokesperson claimed 178 have died of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours and 11,788 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 298,000 have died of the disease since February 2020. Graphs illustrate the ongoing crisis in Iran and forming of the new wave.
R0: 2.10
Total: 5,833,525 (+11,788)
Dead: 124,763 (+178)
Recovered: 5,375,475
Critical: 4,486 (-73)
Active Cases: 333,287 (-2,696)
Total Tests: 34,443,370
Cover: Fatemeh Rahimavian