Iran's daily COVID-19 deaths hit record high of 655

Astrazeneca Pharma India

16/08/2021 13:13

DUBAI, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Iran on Monday reported a record
655 COVID-19 deaths over the past 24 hours as the government
started imposing tougher restrictions to combat a surge in
coronavirus infections led by the highly contagious Delta
variant, state TV reported.  
    The health ministry said the total number of cases had
reached 4,467,015 with 41,194 new cases in the past 24 hours,
while total fatalities had increased to 98,483, state TV
reported.
    All non-essential businesses and public offices across the
Middle East's worst-hit country will be closed until Aug. 21,
state TV said.
    Authorities have also imposed a travel ban between all
Iranian cities from Sunday until Aug. 27, except for essential
vehicles. 
    Health authorities have warned that daily deaths might reach
800 in coming weeks if Iranians fail to respect health
protocols. 
    The sharp surge in cases and deaths has forced the clerical
establishment to allow imports of vaccines made by U.S. and
British companies, which Iran's top authority, Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had forbidden in January. 
    A health ministry official, Kianoush Jahanpour, said there
was no ban on importing any approved COVID-19 vaccines into Iran
"including AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer, other than those
produced in the U.S. and the UK", Iranian media reported on
Sunday. 
    Social media users, inside and outside Iran, have accused
the government of being slow to vaccinate people, with only over
4% of the 83 million population fully inoculated. Officials have
blamed U.S. sanctions for hampering efforts to buy foreign
vaccines and for delays in deliveries. 

 (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Alex Richardson)
 ((parisa.hafezi@thomsonreuters.com; +971 56 216 8363; Reuters
Messaging: parisa.hafezi@thomsonreuters.com; Twitter:
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