BAKU, Azerbaijan, Mar. 3
Trend:
Iran's Health Minister has expressed concern over the spread of the UK Coronavirus variant across the country and possible catastrophe.
"The Coronavirus infection death rate in Iran during past 24 hours was 86 cases," said Saeed Namaki, Trend reports citing Mehr News Agency.
"The course of the disease in Khuzestan Province is concerning and it is challenged by the UK Coronavirus variant. The virus variant is dangerous and spreads fast, the virus would infect lungs in 48 hours, and from 70 intubation patients, 30 of them died in Khuzestan Province," he said in his report on the Coronavirus situation in the country.
Namaki went on to say that if the virus is spread in more provinces Iran would face a disaster. He also added that the compliance with health protocols in Khuzestan Province is low and has not been taken seriously.
"I especially advise serious implementation of health protocols in Isfahan, Bushehr, Hormozgan, Kohgiluyeh, and Boyer-Ahmad and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari provinces that are neighbors of Khuzestan Province to prevent variant spread. The vaccination of healthcare workers, elderly and war veterans in rehabilitation centers are ongoing and hopefully, groups with health risks would be fully vaccinated by the end of the current Iranian year (started March 20, 2020)," he pointed out.
"The process of domestic vaccine production continues and we hope vaccines would reach the production phase soon. We are preparing for bigger waves but I request people to avoid traveling until the situation is under control," Namaki noted.