Another National Corona Combating Task Force “get together” was held today, presided by President of Islamic Republic, Hassan Rouhani. As usual, there was no new decision or plan and for about 2 hours he just spoke about how people should follow the protocols and there’s nothing else anybody could do! After more than a week, he didn’t have an answer about how the plan to fine people who don’t follow protocols would be implemented, he said “that would be decided next week.” Even then, he said that’s to be implemented in Tehran first, and then the rest of the country!
More than 228 days have passed since COVID-19 epidemic was “officially” announced but still not a single preventative rule exists! None of the protocols have been properly enforced. Dr Zali, head of Tehran Corona Combating Committee, is worried the catastrophe in next few weeks in Tehran would be unimaginable. He criticized the system and complained about lack of authority in implementing whatever plans his committee deems fit, because National Task Force “must approve all plans” which might be too late.
Isfahan officials now follow suit and started to complain about shortage of ICU beds and hospital equipment in general. Isfahan Medical University said the deaths may increase by 2-3 folds in the next few weeks. Kerman Medical University announced the uptrend in the province and Ilam said they’re on the fast track to their third peak! Qom, Zanjan, East Azerbaijan, Fars and other provinces are on the same boat but Rouhani is taking his time to make decisions!
In the meantime, Tehran closed medium/high risk businesses, colleges, schools, museums, libraries, and other gathering locations for a week, which might be extended. However, how well the lockdown is executed is something yet to see. Isfahan and a few other provinces announced closing schools and moving to online classes for 2 weeks, as of today with the possibility of extension.
According to Sima Sadat Lari and other Ministry of Health officials, the entire country is in critical status and “people’s cooperation has decreased.” Rouhani claimed that’s because “media outlets located outside Iran are trying induce fear into people and say our stats are wrong. They’re trying to say this is not the right way of managing the pandemic.” But the question is, does Rouhani think the religious gatherings, schools reopening, hiding when epidemic started, manipulating and undercounting data, not banning traveling, premature reopening in April,… have been a successful way of handling the crisis?!
Sima Sadat Lari announced another 3,523 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 179 deaths in the past 24 hours. Soaring of active cases continue and hospitals face with exhausted staff and shortage of beds. According to the Ministry of Health Spokesperson, the situation in Tehran in dreadful and as other officials, she also blamed it on people not following protocols. With Arbain approaching this Thursday which is holiday, another wave of traveling is predicted, but unfortunately the government has no plan to ban it. In the meantime, Islamic Republic is OK with people gathering and mourning 40th day of “Imam Hossein” death in closed crowded spaces.
Basic Reproduction Rate (R0) increased another 2 points, reaching a dangerous zone but unfortunately it is not even included in weekly or monthly stats provided by epidemiology committee of National Task Force. Graphs continue to indicate the ongoing disaster, even though they’re based on discredited data of Ministry of Health!
R0: 1.64
Total: 468,119 (+3,523)
Dead: 26,746 (+179)
Healed: 387,675
Critical: 4,127 (-10)
Admitted: 53,698 (+933)
Tests: 4,095,161 (4.9% of the population, assuming each test was performed on 1 person)
