Hospitalizations Rise, Covid Resurgence Risk by Yearend

The number of Covid-19 patients is slowly rising in Tehran, with health experts warning of a possible fourth wave of infections hitting Iran in the final days of the year.
Noting that hospital admissions have increased compared to the previous week, Alireza Zali, the head of Tehran’s coronavirus taskforce, said on Tuesday the rise could be “the beginning of the disease’s fourth wave”, ISNA reported.
“Over the past 24 hours, 6,200 patients visited hospitals across the province of Tehran. Some 342 required admission and 110 were hospitalized in ICU units,” he added.
The official cautioned that the fourth wave could coincide with the last days of the year.
“We could again experience the bitter final days of the past year,” he stressed.
The first wave of the outbreak hit Iran last year and peaked ahead of New Year holidays, cancelling the travel plans of many. 
This year, travel to regions on red alert and color-coded as orange will be banned, an official with the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran announced.
Vali Teymouri added that the National Coronavirus Taskforce has agreed to limited traveling during the 14-day holiday if low coronavirus cases and deaths are maintained in the one and a half month remaining to the Iranian New Year (starting March 21).
“Travelers can enter a city only if they have reserved accommodation,” Teymouri said, adding that schools and campsites will not be open to tourists this year.
“Over 6,800 contracted the respiratory illness in one day, pushing the tally of cases to 1.43 million,” Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman of Health Ministry, said.
“Over the past 24 hours, 72 Covid-19 patients lost their lives, bringing the total number of deaths to 58,110.”
Worldwide coronavirus infections went past 104 million and fatalities reached 2.24 million.