COVID-19: Iran crosses 30,000 infections in a day amid week-long lockdown

Iran has recorded the highest rate of COVID-19 in the Middle East. The country has crossed the 30,000 daily mark on July 26, Monday amidst the ongoing week-long lockdown. In the past 24 hours, the Islamist republic has registered as many as 31,814 new infections bringing its total positive cases to 3,723,246 cases.

Additionally, Iran has also witnessed 322 coronavirus-related deaths, surging the total to 89,122. Iran hit 25,441 cases on July 21, Monday when the government imposed a week-long lockdown in Tehran. The Iranian government was prompted to shut down the country's capital for a week and impose a strict ban on banks in Tehran and Alborz after COVID-related deaths reached 213 in a day last Monday.

The fifth wave fuelled by sluggish immunization program

Iran has avoided the imposition of elongated nationwide lockdown, instead, it has implemented short-term measures over time like temporary travel bans and business closures across provincial borders. Authorities have also previously admitted that the official figures do not account for all cases. However, the reported numbers still make Iran the most infected country in the Middle East.

Outgoing Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned about the "fifth-wave" of the epidemic to be fuelled by the Delta Variant of the virus. He blamed the June Presidential election campaigns for the surge in infections. Tehran Provincial Governor Anoushiravan Bandpay issued a red alert, stating that all hospitals in the province have filled their capabilities, ANI reported.

The inoculation process has remained slower than expected since it began in February. Only 84 million citizens have received both doses of vaccine, mostly imported from Russia and China, the Associated Press reported. Iran is strangled by the US sanctions, which have made it difficult to procure vaccines, the Iranian Health Ministry informed. As a measure, the authorities have approved the locally developed vaccine COVIran Barekat, which is still short-supplied. Meanwhile, Health authorities have declared the capital Tehran and 91 other cities and towns as high-risk "red" zones more than a week ago.

(With ANI Inputs)