[ad_1]
As people continue to be vaccinated, more reopenings are being planned, but the authorities fear a new surge in cases.
Tehran, Iran Iran is preparing for the sixth wave of major COVID-19 infections, although its nationwide vaccination efforts have accelerated in recent weeks.
Health Minister Bahram Einollahi said on Tuesday that it was “certain” that the Middle East’s worst-hit country would face another surge of cases next month.
He said: “But we are fully prepared to fight this disease in the sixth wave. The hospital is now ready with medicines and oxygen equipment, so we can fight it.”
According to data from the Ministry of Health, the virus has caused nearly 125,000 deaths so far, and since February 2020, Iran has reported more than 5.8 million cases.
The daily death toll has fallen sharply from the peak of 709 recorded in late August, but more than 150 Iranians are still victims of the virus as more than 10,000 new cases are detected every day.
In recent months, Iran’s COVID vaccine promotion has accelerated [Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters]The Iranian authorities have previously been criticized for the slow pace of vaccine imports, but they have imported tens of millions of doses in the past two months, most of which are Chinese national medicine injections and AstraZeneca injections.
But even if the vaccine rollout speeds up, the health minister said that the authorities still have a long way to go before vaccinating most of Iran’s 85 million people.
Einollahi said that about 75% of the target population now has at least one dose of the vaccine, adding that only about 35% have been fully vaccinated.
Although vaccines are now easily available in most parts of the country, vaccine hesitation seems to have become a problem. The public opinion polling agency ISPA found last month that 14.2% of adult Iranians said their willingness to be vaccinated was zero. The most frequently mentioned reasons are lack of trust in jabs and fear of side effects.
“Smart” reopened
The clear warning about the sixth wave of the pandemic comes as the health authorities are planning to reopen more gradually and further remove restrictions on social life.
The Ministry of Health has proposed an “intelligent management platform” that only imposes restrictions on people who have not been vaccinated and who do not comply with necessary health procedures.
Although the details have not yet been finalized, officials said that if service providers, service recipients and venues strictly abide by the agreement, activities can return to normal.
Officials said that the general population will not be forced to vaccinate, but some people have no choice but to vaccinate. Government workers in Tehran have been told that they will not be able to continue working remotely and that they must receive at least one dose of the vaccine by next week before returning to the office.
The school reopened in late September and most courses are conducted remotely online, but as part of a multi-step plan starting next week, officials plan to allow students to attend school. Students between the ages of 12 and 18 are now required to receive injections, but vaccination is not mandatory.
Last week, the Iranian and South Korean national teams held a football match in Tehran behind closed doors. Although it was previously announced that supporters will be allowed to participate, it is expected that the already ongoing league will soon accept vaccinated fans.
The large-scale Friday prayers that have been suspended for 20 months in Tehran will also resume this week.
[ad_2]
Source link