TEHRAN, Jul 5 (NNN-ISNA) – The Delta variant of COVID-19 has spread to most parts of Iran, including the capital, Tehran.
The new variant entered Iran from its eastern and south-eastern borders, triggering a jump in cases, the Iranian national headquarters fighting COVID-19 announced.
“Given the highly infectious nature of this new variant of virus, it can further raise cases and hospitalisations,” Alireza Raisi, spokesman of the headquarters, said. At least 92 cities, including Tehran, have been placed on red alert and 183 others on orange, according to the Iranian health authorities.
The restrictions in cities on red alert need to be reinstated, with “at most, 30 percent of government employees allowed in the workplace,” said Raisi.
Meanwhile, all the non-essential businesses are required to close down, and travels to and from provinces coded as red and orange is also banned, he added.
During a meeting of the national headquarters fighting COVID-19 on Saturday, President Hassan Rouhani said, recent election campaigns, especially those held for city council elections, alongside some other occasions for social gathering, triggered the spike in COVID-19 cases.
“We’re in a unique situation… We’re on our way to see an increase in cases,” Rouhani said, calling the new surge the fifth wave of the outbreak in Iran.
The Iranian Health Ministry announced the increase in inoculation in the coming weeks, to immunise all vulnerable groups.
Yesterday, media reported that, Iranians are in a rush to visit the northern neighbour of Armenia, as it has announced free vaccination for tourists.
By yesterday, Iran reported a total of 3,254,818 COVID-19 cases, since its outbreak in the country in Feb, 2020, including 84,792 deaths.
Meanwhile, 4,463,565 Iranians have received the first dose of vaccines in the country, while 1,988,380 have taken both doses.– NNN-ISNA
