43 cities in Iran go into tough coronavirus lockdown

According to ROKNA, shopping malls, gyms, mosques, salons, universities, schools, libraries, kindergartens, cinemas, museums, cafes, zoos, and amusement parks will be closed for a week.

Two weeks ago, the government set fines for people who endanger the whole society due to non-observance of health protocols or not using face masks.

The violators will be forced to work in hospitals to provide services to coronavirus patients, Reza Asgari, the governor of Zanjan said.

“To prevent the incidence of COVID-19 in Zanjan, a plan called “alternative punishment to imprisonment” approved by the judiciary to punish those who do not follow the health guidelines by working in hospitals to serve COVID-19 patients,” he said.

Deplorable situation

Massoud Mardani, a member of the National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control, said that the pandemic condition in the country is deplorable and there are no empty beds in the hospitals.

In the current situation, basic measures must be considered to deal with the third wave of the virus, he highlighted.

Lamenting that unnecessary gatherings and trips speeded up the disease transmission, he urged people not to travel and heed the advice of health officials, because if the current situation continues, the virus will get out of control.

According to him, using a mask outdoors is essential for everyone and everyone is required to follow the hygiene principles.

COVID-19 is a newly-emerging disease that can be described as the most complex threat to human health which leads to severe respiratory problems, he noted, adding that the virus is transmitted through direct contact with the respiratory droplets of an infected person through sneezing and coughing.

Public education is informing, empowering, and increasing community participation with the aim of observing health principles and paying attention to the recommendations of health officials as a way to prevent the disease. Proper use of personal protective equipment is the most important strategy to control the virus, he explained.

The coronavirus can stay on the surface for several hours, and the proper use of disinfectants also plays an important role in controlling it, he concluded.

COVID-19 toll hits 32,000 in Iran

In the press briefing on Sunday, Health Ministry spokesperson Sima-Sadat Lari confirmed 5,960 new cases of COVID-19 infection, raising the total number of infections to 574,856. She added that 459,250 patients have so far recovered, but 4,982 still remain in critical conditions of the disease.

In the past 24 hours, 337 patients have lost their lives, bringing the total number of deaths to 32,953, she added.

Lari noted that so far 4,753,357 COVID-19 tests have been conducted across the country.

She said the high-risk “red” zones include provinces of Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, East Azarbaijan, South Khorasan, Semnan, Qazvin, Lorestan, Ardebil, Khuzestan, Kermanshah, Kohgiluyeh-Boyerahmad, Gilan, Bushehr, Zanjan, Ilam, Khorasan Razavi, Mazandaran, Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari, Alborz, West Azarbaijan, Markazi, Kerman, North Khorasan, Hamedan, Yazd, and Kordestan.

The provinces of Hormozgan, Fars, and Golestan and Sistan-Baluchestan are also on alert.