Iran Covid Cases Cross 2.5 Million

The total number of Covid-19 infections in Iran surpassed the 2.5 million mark on Saturday, as the National Coronavirus Headquarters announced the downward trend of the disease in 15 provinces.
“In 15 provinces, a downward trend has started and infections have peaked in 10 provinces, with their case tally expected to decline in the coming days,” Alireza Raeisi, spokesman of NCH, was quoted as saying by IRNA.
The health official noted that the pandemic has “stabilized” in 25 provinces across the country, as transmission rates are not low but the upward trend has halted.
Raeisi said the outbreak is yet to peak in six provinces before cases in those areas could begin to fall. 
Iran is tackling a fourth wave of the pandemic that has overwhelmed its healthcare system for the past month. Nearly 200 cities throughout the country have been placed on red alert and most non-essential businesses have been ordered to close to stem the spread of the virus.
Over 211,000 Iranians have been fully vaccinated and some 890,000 have received the first dose of the vaccine. Iran has administered 1.1 million injections since the start of the national inoculation drive. 
According to Raeisi, the vaccination of people 80 years and above and more will conclude this week, under the second phase of the inoculation campaign.

Vaccine Efficacy

The Covid-19 vaccine jointly produced by Iran and Cuba has shown to be 80% effective in building immunity against the contagion, the head of Pasteur Institute of Iran, Alireza Biglari, said.
“Two shots of this vaccine builds 80% immunity in the human body, after a third dose, its efficacy nears 100%,” Biglari said on Saturday during an event marking the start of Phase 3 clinical trials of a vaccine manufactured by Pasteur and Cuba’s Finlay Vaccine Institute. 
Biglari added, “If the vaccine reaches mass production, we’ll be ready to make one million jabs a month starting July.”
Phase 3 trials are underway in seven provinces across Iran involving 24,000 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 80.
The Health Ministry reported 332 coronavirus deaths on Saturday, taking the national toll to 72,090. 
Over 1.97 million have recovered from the respiratory illness and some 5,400 are in critical condition, hospitalized in ICU units, the Health Ministry’s statement read.
Iran has carried out more than 15.9 million diagnostic tests to detect patients infected with the viral infection.
Worldwide, Covid-19 cases soared to 152.1 million on Saturday and fatalities from the infectious disease rose to 3.19 million.