Upsurge In Coronavirus Infections Raises Alarms In Iran’s Capital – OpEd
Officials in Tehran have raised concerns about a new wave of coronavirus infections in the capital a week after the start of economic activities.
The Head of the COVID-19 Headquarters in Tehran told the state-run IRNA News Agency yesterday that the number of infections and deaths had yet to be contained in the capital adding that “Tehran is different from other provinces, and the decision to reopen businesses must also be different.”
Alireza Zali also implied that the government was wrong to resume economic activities in Tehran so soon and said that this would lead to “new challenges and problems”.
The head of the Tehran emergency department told state-run media on April 22 that COVID-19 patients were coming into hospitals in critical condition.
“These days, infected patients who are taken to hospitals are in worse condition than before and need special care, so we have to take them to the ICU immediately,” Dr. Peiman Saberian said.
According to the Governor of Tehran, the number of coronavirus infections has increased in the province.
“If this trend continues, we will have difficulties,” Anoshirvan Mohseni Bandpi added.
The Governor of Tehran Province said that the daily commute of Tehran residents in busses and the metro prevented social distancing.
Today, Alireza Zali said that coronavirus infections in the capital had increased by 1.5%.
“Unfortunately, the people have been given a wrong message that coronavirus has been contained,” he added.
Iran’s Ministry of Health announces its version of the daily death toll and infections in the country every day but does not announce separate figures for each province.
This has led to criticism by several officials who say that locals must know the exact scope of the epidemic in their place of residence in order to observe social distancing and take the threat seriously.
But in truth, the majority of Iranians do not trust the regime’s official figures. According to a poll by a state-run website, from the 5,490 people who took part in the survey, 42.7% had “very little” trust in the regime’s official figures, while 23.3% had “little” trust.
According to Khabar Fori website, when asked why they did not trust in the regime’s figures, 59.9% of voters said the regime had a history of announcing fake figures.
An opposition group that provides the daily COVID-19 death toll in Iran said today that 34,700 Iranians had passed away from the virus in 297 cities across the country.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran says the regime is covering up the death toll.
Iran’s Ministry of Health said today that 5,574 people had passed away from the virus with 93 deaths in the past 24 hours.
