2,570 New Cases, 119 Fatalities Reported

EghtesadOnline: Iran recorded an additional 2,570 coronavirus cases and 119 deaths on Monday, as the contagion continued its rapid spread around the country.

News ID: ۷۵۰۲۹۶

23 June 2020

“The national tally of infections rose above 207,000, up by 2,573 newly confirmed cases, nearly half of whom warranted hospitalization,” Health Ministry Spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari was quoted as saying by ISNA.

Among the patients admitted to hospital on Monday was Iranian lawmaker and former minister, Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi.

The 119 overnight fatalities brought the death toll to 9,742.

For the first time since the government eased lockdown measures, health officials raised the alarm over rising Covid-19 infections in the southern province of Fars.

Lari noted that four provinces are still in “red” zone, adding that in the past 24 hours, eight provinces registered no deaths and four reported only one.

Alireza Zali, the head of Tehran Province’s taskforce fighting the pandemic, pointed out that 80% of people still consider Covid-19 dangerous but “adherence to health protocols is dropping fast”.

“Some 62% respected social distancing rules when the initiative was first launched. After two weeks, the number dropped to 28%,” he added.

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According to Zali, the latest poll results show an 11% compliance with safety guidelines.

Tehran Governor-General Anoushirvan Mohseni Bandpey said on Sunday that social distancing in the province of Tehran has declined to under 10%.

He, however, pointed out that over 90% of subway passengers wear facemasks and noted that “there is no need to return restrictions in the subway”.

Nearly 167,000 have recovered from the infectious disease in Iran. The number of patients in critical condition stood at its highest since the outbreak began with 2,900 cases who display severe symptoms and are under treatment in intensive care units.

Equipped laboratories across the nation have so far administered nearly 1.5 million coronavirus tests.

According to World Health Organization, the world experienced its highest single-day rise in coronavirus cases on Monday, with roughly 183,000 overnight infections.

Global infections have crossed 9.1 million on the same day.