Daily Virus Deaths Rise to Record High

EghtesadOnline: Iran registered a record high in daily fatalities from the Covid-19 pandemic on Monday, as the country began to feel the inevitable consequences of large-scale reopenings.

News ID: ۷۵۰۳۴۶

30 June 2020

Asia’s second worst-hit country reported a single-day high of 162 fatalities from the coronavirus, up by four from the previous record that took place during the peak of the outbreak in early April.

“The new deaths bring the national count to 10,670,” Health Ministry Spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari was quoted as saying by ISNA.

“There is a significant leap in cases in Tehran, which is worrying. The increase is undeniably a reflection of the reopenings and [disregard for] health protocols,” she added.

In its new phase of the fight against the coronavirus, Iranian authorities gradually replaced lockdown restrictions with safety guidelines devised by the Health Ministry, aiming to revive the economy while curbing the outbreak.

Alireza Zali, the head of Tehran’s coronavirus taskforce also reported a significant rise in hospitalized coronavirus patients in the capital Tehran over the past 24 hours.

According to Zali, some 400 were admitted to general wards and 120 patients required hospitalization in intensive care units.

He added, “The rate of hospitalization greatly differs from previous days … Tehran faced a different set of circumstances over the past few hours.”

A total of 2,536 fresh cases pushed the nationwide tally above 225,200.

#I Wear Masks

Lari urged the public to join the #I Wear Mask campaign, launched to promote face coverings in crowded or enclosed public spaces to stem the spread of the pandemic.

“For now, scientific findings point to facemasks as the best way of preventing virus transmission,” the spokeswoman added.

Referring to the mandatory use of facemasks from next Sunday, Zali said that latest studies show wearing masks can sharply reduce the chances of contracting the disease.

According to the health official, the compulsory use of facemasks will definitely be imposed in Tehran’s public transport system.

“Large stores, offices and cultural centers are among Tehran’s overcrowded places,” he added.

The eastern province of Khorasan Razavi, home to Iran’s second-most populous city, along with five other provinces, are in a state of emergency due to a jump in infections.

Iran has carried out 1.63 million diagnostic tests in over 100 laboratories to detect infected patients. So far, 186,000 have either recovered or been discharged from hospitals, and over 3,000 remain in critical condition.

The worldwide count of confirmed coronavirus cases rose above 10.26 million on Monday and deaths reached 505,000. Iran is the world’s 10th worst-hit country after Peru, Chile and Italy.