Adherence to Health Protocols Declines Amid Surge in Covid-19 Hospitalizations

EghtesadOnline: President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday reported a significant drop in adherence to Covid-19 safety measures despite the recent climb in cases and hospitalizations.

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19 July 2021

“Adherence rate to protocols across the country stands at 48%, on average. This is a very low figure,” the president was quoted as saying by his website during the meeting of the National Coronavirus Headquarters on Saturday.

According to the top official, the number needs to rise by as much as 40% for the deadly outbreak to be contained.

Despite health authorities’ efforts to stave off the highly contagious Delta variant, the mutation has traveled from southern and eastern areas to central and northern parts.

The variant, first found in India, spreads fast due to a mutation on the spike protein that makes infecting human cells easy.

Delta is quickly becoming the dominant strain in many countries and it is overwhelming hospitals in regions with low vaccination coverage.

Rouhani said, “Several provinces … even Tehran, are not in good circumstances hospital-wise. The number of hospitalized patients are on the rise.”

At least 169 cities throughout the country have been placed on red alert.

The president urged vaccinated people to also follow protocols, “Vaccines can significantly lower death rates, but they cannot fully stop transmissions.”

Iran is ramping up its vaccination drive to reduce fatalities and prevent severe cases from crowding hospitals.

More Vaccine Deliveries

Iran will receive several deliveries of vaccine shipments amounting to six million doses before the end of the week, spokesman for the NCH, Alireza Raeisi, told IRNA.

“Over this week, we’ll get nearly six million jabs,” Raeisi said. “They will be distributed and we’ll inoculate people over 60 years old and high-risk groups.”

The Health Ministry is vaccinating people over 50 in some provinces more vulnerable to the Delta variant, including the western province of Khuzestan and areas along the south coast.

So far, 5.891 million Iranians have received the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine and more than 2.252 million are fully vaccinated.

The number of shots administered throughout the country surpassed eight million on Saturday, with daily vaccination numbers passing 250,000.

The administration of the outgoing president is racing to make good on its promise to immunize people over the age of 65 and individuals with high-risk jobs before it hands over the office to the next team.

Over the next two weeks and ahead of inauguration day, Iran is set to receive a total of 10 million vaccine shots that will be enough to vaccinate law enforcement personnel, teachers, university professors, bank tellers and other employees constantly at risk of infection.

The Health Ministry logged 175 coronavirus deaths on Saturday, taking the national toll to 86,966. Some 15,000 new infections took the total case tally past the 3.5 million mark.

Confirmed number of worldwide coronavirus cases spiked to 190.4 million on Saturday as fatalities from the disease rose to 4.09 million.