Friday , 29 March 2024

New Year Travel Permitted Despite Spread of Coronavirus Variant in Iran

Iranwire – A surge in the number of people infected with the highly contagious coronavirus variant found in the UK has deepened fears of an oncoming “fourth wave” in Iran. New cases have been reported across Iran’s central provinces, including Tehran, Alborz, Isfahan and Qazvin. In the latter, two villages have been quarantined.

Kianoush Jahanpour, officially the spokesman for Iran’s Food and Drug Administration, reported that confirmed cases of the UK-identified variant in Qazvin have gone beyond the seven that was originally reported. As of now, one Covid-19 fatality stemming from this variant has been confirmed in Qazvin, alongside one in Alborz, one in Isfahan and one in Tehran.

Earlier, officials of the Islamic Republic had claimed that they had prevented the spread of this variant by monitoring and controlling travelers coming from foreign countries. But a few days ago Health Minister Saeed Namaki conceded that the variant had “spread across” the country. Some Iranians on social media have accused the government of concealing the truth ahead of the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, to try to ensure a good turnout. On February 15 it was reported that all the passengers on an incoming flight from the UK had been quarantined, and Namaki said some 2,000 people were waiting “in a European country” to return to Iran.

Meanwhile in the southwestern province of Khuzestan, the number of ordinary coronavirus infections also continues to rise. Some hospitals are now close to capacity and it has been reported that Iraq is considering closing the border with this mountainous region.

Despite all of this, the National Coronavirus Taskforce has agreed to allow vacationers to travel during the holidays that start the Iranian new calendar year on March 21.

Ayatollah Khamenei, “Super Spreader” of Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories

report by Associated Press has identified the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and General Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guards, as two of the worst “super spreaders” of conspiracy theories about coronavirus and Covid-19.

Back on March 5, 2020, General Salami had declared that Iran was engaged in a battle against a virus that might be the product of an American biological attack. On this spurious basis, Salami ordered a Ground Force Biological Defense Maneuver to test the country’s ability to combat a biological attack.

Khamenei was among the first and most powerful world leaders to suggest the coronavirus could be a biological weapon created by the US. In his annual Persian New Year address to millions of Iranians on March 22, 2020, Khamenei questioned why the US would offer aid to countries like Iran when its own people were suffering, going on to accuse the US of manufacturing the virus. He used this as grounds to refuse US medical aid, declaring: “Possibly [US] medicine is a way to spread the virus more”. Last month, Khamenei also forbade the importation of Covid-19 vaccines manufactured in Britain and the US.

Iran’s Latest Coronavirus Statistics

In her daily briefing for February 15, Health Ministry spokeswoman Dr. Sima Sadat Lari announced the official coronavirus statistics for the past 24 hours:

Provinces Round-up

According to the latest figures announced by the Ministry of Health, nine cities, all in Khuzestan province, are currently in a red state of alert. Another 39 cities in Iran are in an orange state of alert, 228 cities are on yellow alert and 172 are blue: on low alert but not free of coronavirus.

Following the announcement that nine cities in Khuzestan had been put on red alert, Health Minister Saeed Namaki appointed Dr. Farhad Abolnejadian, president of Ahvaz Jondishapur University of Medical Sciences, as the new director of Khuzestan Coronavirus Taskforce. The taskforce then announced that all bus services in Ahvaz, the provincial capital, have been suspended until further notice.

Dr. Farhad Soltani, the vice president of Ahvaz Jondishapur University of Medical Sciences, reported that in the past week the number of outpatients in Khuzestan with Covid-19 symptoms has increased by 10 to 15 percent every day. He added that in his view, the main factor aggravating transmission in Khuzestan has been a fall in levels of compliance with health protocols and an increase in multi-household gatherings, including “thousands”-strong religious ceremonies. Dr. Soltani also warned that local hospitals were contaminated and if hospital visitors experience any coronavirus symptoms, they must go to their nearest specialized clinic for a test.

Razi Hospital, the main hospital in Ahvaz, is reportedly now at capacity. New arrivals are instead being sent to other hospitals. Ganjavian Hospital in the city of Dezful is said to be in the same situation. Some 500 confirmed Covid-19 patients and 400 suspected ones are presently being treated in hospitals across Khuzestan, while six more patients died from Covid-19 in the past 24 hours.

Khuzestan borders Iraq to the west. On February 15, Dr. Abolnejadian also said that many of the coronavirus tests conducted in Iraq are “fake” and, therefore, those who enter Khuzestan province from Iraq must be tested again. He added, however, that there are no quarantine facilities at border crossings to isolate those who enter Khuzestan until their test results are known. On the same day it was also reported that, due to the increase in the number of infections in Khuzestan, the Iraqi government may well decide to close its border with Khuzestan in any event.

March 21 is the date of Norooz: the Persian New Year holiday. Traditionally, Iranians visit each other and travel on a massive scale during these holidays. Such get-togethers naturally pose a danger during the pandemic but despite this, Fereydoon Mohammadi, director-general of Alborz Tourism Organization, has said the National Coronavirus Taskforce has agreed to allow Norooz journeys provided people have a set place to stay at the destination, and have the “necessary documents” to prove that they are not infected with coronavirus. This seems unlikely at best, at worst outright unworkable.

In Alborz, the number of hospitalizations has been steadily increasing over the past month. Alireza Soleimani, spokesman for Alborz Coronavirus Taskforce, warned that a fourth wave of infections might well be on the way and if health protocols are not observed “we are going to have a difficult Norooz ahead.” With the death of two more Covid-19 patients in Alborz the official death toll in the province now stands at 2,716, reported Dr. Mohammad Fathi, president of Alborz University of Medical Sciences. In the past 24 hours, he said, 45 new patients with coronavirus symptoms were hospitalized in the province, bringing the total number of current Covid-19 hospital cases in Alborz to 306.

Qazvin has been struck with the highly contagious UK-identified coronavirus variant and now two of its villages have been completely locked down. A few days ago the village of Hossein Abad was quarantined and on February 15, a provincial official announced that the village of Khiaraj had also been locked down after at least 24 villagers tested positive. All roads to and from this village will remain closed until the test results for all residents are to hand. Those found to be infected will have to quarantine for 14 days.

As of now no cases of the coronavirus variant identified in Britain have been detected in the northern province of Gilan. But people in this popular holiday destination are advised to wear a “double layer” of masks and strictly comply with health protocols, said Dr. Abtin Heydarzadeh, vice president of Gilan University of Medical Sciences. In just the past 24 hours, he reported, 110 more Covid-19 patients were hospitalized in Gilan, bringing the total number of current inpatients to 440.

In the past 24 hours 75 new Covid-19 cases were identified in Kermanshah and nine of them were hospitalized, bringing the total number of inpatients in the province to 126, reported Dr. Mehdi Mohammadi, spokesman for Kermanshah Coronavirus Taskforce. No confirmed Covid-19 patients died in the same time period and the official death toll in the province still stands at 1,472.

The neighboring province of Kurdistan is in a similar situation. In the past 24 hours 80 new Covid-19 patients were identified and currently 128 coronavirus patients are in hospitals across the province, reported Dr. Farzin Rezaei, president of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences. Of this number, he said, 20 are in intensive care units. No confirmed Covid-19 patient died in the past 24 hours and the officially-recorded death toll for Kurdistan remains at 1,069.

0