Delta Variant Spreading Across The World Like Wildfire - Part 1: Iran

Iran’s health minister has called for two weeks of lockdowns to be enforced by the armed forces and the law enforcement officers, so as to curb the alarmingly speedt rise of COVID-19 cases across the country.

Iran is entering the 5th wave of coronavirus infections. This time it is dominated by the virulent Delta variant and is expected to be even more catastrophic and irreversible if nothing is done. The health care system is at it breaking point. Even if the country does not run out of hospital beds, it will run out of healthcare professionals, staffs and workers.

“Even though they are vaccinated, my co-workers are all becoming sick due to long bouts of sleeplessness and stress,” said the health minister.

“The pressure is so high that I’m worried even this plan won’t be enough, unless we reduce the exponential load of illnesses through quick preventive measures and boosting adherence to health protocols,” he wrote in a letter he has sent to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The heads of 65 medical universities and faculties across the country also called for a lockdown in a letter to outgoing President Hassan Rouhani last week.

More than 3.9 million cases of COVID-19 have been registered in Iran since February 2020 and more than 91,000 people have lost their lives in what has long been the deadliest pandemic of the Middle East.

Iran's health ministry said 366 more Iranians died on Sunday. The death rate has surged by 38 percent compared with a week earlier.

More than 32,500 newly infected l cases were reported on Sunday. This shows a 32 percent increase compared with a week before.

Iran has introduced numerous temporary lockdowns and shutdowns across the country since the pandemic began, but most have not been strictly enforced.

The lockdowns are pointless because most businesses do not closed down and travel restrictions have been flouted amid low enforcement of safety measures.

The situation is getting worse but it has yet reach its peak.

Iran's national Anti-Coronavirus Task Force (ACTF), said on Saturday that 29 of Iran’s 31 provinces are now in the throes of the Delta variant and hospital beds are quickly being filled".

Hundreds of cities across the country are now classified “RED”, denoting the severity of the outbreaks.

The ACTF also said that adherence to health protocols requiring the use of face masks and observing physical distancing has dropped to below 40% across the country, against a backdrop of above 70% less than two months ago.

Apart from other difficulties, implementing a forced two-week lockdown across the country is sure to prove challenging for Iranian authorities as people and businesses are under immense economic pressure due to decades of US sanctions and poor economic performance.

In an economy marked by 40% inflation and high unemployment, many small businesses have been unable to close down their shops even for a few days.

A country of more than 83 million people, Iran has so far been able to vaccinate only about 10 million people, due to vaccines shortage. The other 73 million people have been living with the coronavirus for the last one and a half years already. Singaporeans who wish to live with the coronavirus should emigrate to Iran. I am sure the coronavirus there would welcome them with open arms and spikes.

The road ahead seems very dark not only for Iran but also for many other countries in the world. Dying with the coronavirus or with the mRNA vaccines seems to be the norm, going forward.


SSO - 2 August 2021