Coronavirus in Iran: Death Toll Exceeds 30K amid '3rd Wave'

The Ministry of Health in Iran said today, Saturday, that the number of deaths due to the novel coronavirus in the country increased to 30,123 cases, and the number of confirmed cases increased to 526,490.

Sima Sadat Larry, a spokeswoman for the ministry, told state television that Iran had recorded 4,103 cases of the virus in the past 24 hours.

The novel coronavirus has hit Iran in a big way, and the country has broken two grim records this week, as it reported the largest number of deaths during the past 24 hours, in a toll that is the largest since the outbreak of the epidemic began last March, in addition to the toll of large new infections.

The coronavirus in Iran revealed the fragility of the situation as a whole. The country's health officials openly admit that Iran has entered the third wave of the epidemic.

The intensive care units in Iran are experiencing overcrowding due to COVID-19 patients.

"If the Iranians do not take collective measures, and if the epidemic continues for another 18 months, up to 300,000 people may die," Mohamed Talibur, Director of Sina Hospital.

He revealed that a third of the medical staff at Sina Hospital had at some points become ill.

In an effort to force hesitant citizens to abide by social distancing rules, including mandatory wearing of face masks in public places, the government imposed fines of up to $6.60, initially in Tehran.

Masks have become mandatory in indoor public places since last July.

Government spokesman Ali Rabiei confirmed, on Tuesday, that the fines are "a tool to achieve compliance, not an objective in itself, and it is a warning to exercise self-discipline.”

He noted that "all the income from fines will go to the Ministry of Health to fight the pandemic in Iran."

President Hassan Rouhani is under increasing criticism for his handling of the coronavirus crisis in Tehran.

The crisis comes at a turbulent time for Tehran, as the sanctions imposed by the United States on 18 private sector banks limit the country's access to humanitarian goods and medicines.