Third Wave of COVID Grips Iran
People wearing masks while walking in Iran (Wikipedia)
A third wave of COVID-19 infections surges through Iran following a steady decline in cases throughout August. At 3,000 new cases per day, Iran has not seen such a volume of cases since the virus first appeared in the country back in February.
In a televised speech last week, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged the public to continue to follow public health guidelines, saying that “the solution for this is in our own hands.” As flu season approaches in Iran, potentially exacerbating the spread of the virus, government officials have considered new restrictions on people and businesses, including a mask mandate.
While Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has shown reluctance towards lockdown measures in the past, he recently expressed a willingness to act: “if there is a new wave of infections, we will be forced to reintroduce some restrictions,” he said on his official website in anticipation of a fresh surge in cases.
Religious pilgrimages to Iraq, which many Muslims undertake at the end of the second month on the Islamic calendar, have faced cancelations, with the Supreme Leader calling on worshippers to observe religious occasions from their homes.
Some blame the recent surge in cases on the reopening of schools and universities in Iran in September, although the Ministry of Education has disputed this.
“There are no official reports indicating that students have become infected with the coronavirus after schools reopened,” insists Iranian Minister of Education Mohsen Haji Mirzaei.
At more than 400,000 officially reported cases (a number called into question when leaked documents suggested that Iran had covered up the true scope of the outbreak), Iran remains the most affected country in the Middle East by COVID-19. While some blame a slow Iranian bureaucracy and inefficiency among officials, others attribute a more international cause.
“Whatever the Americans are saying about their sanctions not affecting humanitarian items, it’s just a lie... It’s basically medical terrorism,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a recent interview. U.S. sanctions have rendered it more difficult for Iran to get medical supplies, and some argue that the sanctions’ crippling effect on Iran’s economy has made it challenging for Iran to enforce restrictions and provide aid to its citizens.