The COVID-19 crisis in Iran is deteriorating every minute and officials cannot hide the magnitude of their own wrongdoing anymore, but that doesn’t stop them from blaming people and their traveling for the current catastrophe! According to Ministry of Health and their discredited, undercounted numbers, 4,151 new COVID-19 cases and 227 deaths were confirmed in the past 24 hours. While the numbers only includes PCR tested patients, that’s the highest number of daily cases since the epidemic began in February 2020!
The hospitals are at full capacity and major cities including the capital, Tehran, are in worse condition compared to other areas of the country! Despite that, the National Task Force is yet to decide whether to allow employees to work from home or not! Dr Zali, head of Tehran Corona Combating Committee, sent that request weeks ago! Tehran Governor and Zali also sent another letter demanding the government to ban unnecessary traveling between cities and provinces based on the cars’ plates or at least introduces a new set of fines, 3-5 times more than usual ones. Zali also said 1 week lockdown is not enough and “we’ve already requested for another extension.” However, none of the lockdown protocols are followed or enforced properly. It’s like Tehran is ruled by chaos, now more than ever!
Since Arbain holiday is on Thursday and there’s another long weekend starting from October 16, people have already started to pack their bags and getting away from Tehran! However, the government needs that scapegoat for the worsening condition, since Arbain gatherings will be causing another surge in cases, deaths, admissions and Islamic Republic has no plan in banning gatherings! As per Muharram ceremonies, “only outdoor gatherings” are allowed for Arbain and end of Safar rituals, and since those ended up with good results, there’s no reason why these wouldn’t cause another spike in cases and deaths.
In the meantime, Harirchi, Deputy Health Minister, admits there’s no available beds in ICUs in Tehran saying more than 100 were held up in ERs in Tehran in the past 24 hours for beds to become available! He added “exhausted healthcare staff” are tired of more than 7 months long shifts. “Many are on sick leave in Tehran.”
Ghalibaf going to a hospital in Tehran and meeting with healthcare staff and patients has stirred up another fake fight between him and Rouhani! Rouhani’s office claimed since the “parliament speaker” hadn’t followed protocols in his visit, Rouhani can’t meet with him. Ghalibaf’s office released a statement saying, “If you’re afraid for your life, you shouldn’t have accepted the responsibility,” in an apparent response to Rouhani but without naming him! In support of Rouhani, Dr Minoo Mohraz, a member of National Task Force, said that’s the right call, “even parliament sessions must be shut down and go virtual.”
While that cat fight was going on, Khamenei’s office announced he’s going to hold Arbain rituals which would be aired on TV! He was the “Supreme Leader of Social Distancing” in Muharram ceremonies! Ghalibaf’s statement should have said something to Khamenei too.
Well-known human rights abusers including China, Russia, Islamic Republic, Belarus and Venezuela in a joint statement called on international humanitarian organizations saying “sanctions are disrupting their efforts to combat coronavirus.” However, as it’s been established many times before, medicine and humanitarian aids are not sanctioned by any country! In the meantime, US has offered help to Islamic Republic again, as they did in February and it was rejected by Khamenei!
Basic Reproduction Rate (R0) increased another 2 points, indicating the ever growing crisis in Iran. Graphs depict different waves and soaring number of active cases perfectly. Critical cases keep rising but their numbers, like other numbers provided by the Ministry, remain a mystery. However, today’s 4,200 ICU COVID-19 patients is a new record for itself since the epidemic began.
R0: 1.69
Total: 479,825 (+4,151)
Dead: 27,419 (+227)
Healed: 394,800
Critical: 4,200 (+33)
Admitted: 57,606 (+1,417)
Tests: 4,179,338 (5.0% of the population, assuming each test was performed on 1 person)
Cover: Aria Jafari
