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Iran coronavirus update: Over 224,900 deaths, Khuzestan witnessing UK strain wave

Reporting by PMOI/MEK

Iran, March 3, 2021—Over 224,900 people have died of the novel coronavirus in 497 cities checkered across all of Iran’s 31 provinces, according to reports tallied by the Iranian opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) as of Wednesday afternoon local time, March 3. The official death toll declared by the regime stands at 60,353 around a third of the actual figure.

The coronavirus death toll in various provinces include:53,156 in Tehran, 14,850 in Razavi Khorasan, 14,505 in Isfahan, 11,935 in Khuzestan, 9522 in Mazandaran, 9368 in Lorestan, 8593 in East Azerbaijan, 8413 in West Azerbaijan, 8405 in Qom, 5850 in Golestan, 5258 in Hamedan, 4112 in Yazd, 2529 in Qazvin, 2306 in Ilam, and 1694 in Kohgiluyeh & Boyer Ahmad. This is in addition to reports obtained from other provinces.

Infographic-PMOI/MEK reports over 224,900 coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths in Iran

Infographic-PMOI/MEK reports over 224,900 coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths in Iran

 

“Khuzestan province is the area with the highest number of new cases and deaths, and is considered a burning province regarding this illness… Of the 70 patients placed in ICUs in Khuzestan during the past 24 hours, 30 of them have died. If we have three to four provinces like Khuzestan, my colleagues will lose control of the status quo,” said Health Minister Saied Namaki on Wednesday, according to the semi-official ILNA news agency.

“The UK strain of Covid-19 catches us completely off guard. Meaning the next 20 to 30 days will not be easy at all. There will be many new cases, just as we suddenly witnessed in Khuzestan. In the past two days more than 30 percent of the deaths were related to Khuzestan province,” said Alireza Raisi, spokesperson of the National Covid-19 Task Force on Wednesday.

“Our measures aimed at controlling Covid-19 have been next to none in comparison to European countries. The UK strain has been seen in ten to 15 provinces. We are concerned about the increasing transmission speed of the mutated strain,” said a member of the National Covid-19 Task Force on Wednesday, voicing specific concern about Tehran, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency.

 

 

Director of Iran’s Red Crescent voiced special concern on Wednesday regarding the critical situation in Khuzestan province. “We need to be ready for any possible situation. The illness may reach its peak in the next few days,” this official added, according to the Mehr news agency, an outlet linked to the regime's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS).

“The number of new cases and patients being hospitalized is increasing in our province. The number of ICU patients has increased by 33 percent in comparison to the day before,” said a senior health official in South Khorasan province on Wednesday, according to the Mehr news agency.

“With 73 new patients hospitalized, the total number currently stands at 497, of which 139 are in ICUs and 28 are on ventilators,” according to a state TV report on Wednesday from West Azerbaijan province.

“Officials have given us nothing but contradictory remarks during this past year. There is a difference between the death tolls provided by city councils and the Health Ministry. There is also a difference on what vaccine and from will be procured,” according to a Wednesday piece published by the state-controlled Arman daily. “The government has ordered Pfizer vaccines, and then they are forced to cancel it… Once we hear the Health Minister say he is merely the director of the morgue, then he says the world is astonished about Iran’s Covid-19 management. Last month they reported an 80 percent decrease in the number of deaths and new cases. Two or three weeks later near the Nowruz (Iranian calendar New Year on March 20) we are seeing these numbers rise once again. There are also cases where official blame each other for the mistakes. One official says those who kept the Iraq border open allowing the UK strain to enter the country are to blame. Another official says you are to blame that you cannot quarantine the city of Ahvaz. At the end of the day, everything comes crumbling down on the people. Then officials are heard saying they did not abide by protocols, leading to the fourth wave.”

Iran coronavirus outbreak death toll interactive map

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