Ministry: Daily COVID deaths reach 156, infections above 9,000
The Iranian Health Ministry announced in a statement on Tuesday that the country’s daily COVID-19 deaths and infections reached 156 and 9,096, respectively, in the past 24 hours.
The figures stood at 140 and 7,174, respectively, in the preceding 24-hour period.
The total COVID-19 death toll and infections since the beginning of the outbreak in the country in late February 2020 stand at 125,519 and 5,877,456, respectively.
According to the ministry, 4,184 COVID-19 patients are in critical condition, and of the newly-detected cases, 1,277 individuals have been hospitalized.
Some 5,443,243 COVID-19 patients have so far either recovered from the disease or have been discharged from hospitals.
So far, 34,970,103 coronavirus diagnostic tests have been carried out in the country.
The ministry added 51,455,291 people in the country have been given the first dose, bringing the total number of the administered doses to 82,473,271.
It put the number of those who have been given both doses at 30,950,480.
The ministry added that 1,112,499 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered during the past 24 hours.
The Health Ministry also said 22 cities are coded red (very high-risk), while 128 are in the orange zone (high-risk).
The number of the country’s yellow (medium-risk) and blue (low-risk) cities are 215 and 83, respectively, read the statement.
Iran was grappling with the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past few months, seeing record high daily deaths and infections of over 700 and 40,000.
In the past few weeks, the death toll and cases have been reflecting a declining trend, indicating that the fifth wave is over on the back of the greater momentum of the country’s public vaccination in the past months. The rise in imports and domestic production of vaccines has contributed to the accelerated pace of vaccination in the country.
Iran has received several COVID-19 vaccine batches from Russia (Sputnik V), China (Sinopharm), Japan (Astrazeneca) and India (COVAXIN), and has also developed a number of COVID jabs domestically.
The authorities, however, say the start of a sixth wave is quite possible in case of laxity in observing the health protocols and a failure to accelerate the public vaccination process.