Covid Daily Fatalities Rise Above 100 Once Again

Iran’s death toll from the coronavirus, which had dropped to two-digit figures for four consecutive days, on Tuesday returned to nearly 120, raising the alarm over the possibility of another resurgence. 
The Health Ministry logged 119 mortalities on Tuesday, pushing the national toll to more than 120,800, IRNA reported.
Concerns over a new surge was renewed last week when a highly mutated variant of the coronavirus, dubbed Omicron, was discovered in several African countries. 
Alireza Zali, head of Covid-19 operations in the capital of Tehran, said on Tuesday that Omicron is 500 times more transmissible compared to other variants of the virus.
“Some 50 mutations have been reported in Omicron and 30 of the mutations are key and contagious, that’s why it has attracted global attention,” the health official said.
Noting that more time is needed before researchers can determine if current vaccines can immunize the body against the mutation, he said that preventive measures should be carefully implemented.
He said, “Right now, the country is no longer in a red [very high-risk] state, but the situation is unstable and health protocols need to be fully observed.”
Cases of Omicron have been found in some 17 nations throughout the world, including seven in Africa where the variant was first reported.
Head of the Health Ministry’s Center for Infectious Disease Control, Mohammad Mahdi Gouya, said in a press conference on Tuesday that border control agents have been briefed on the new variant. 
“We’re temporarily denying visas to those who want to travel to Iran from these seven countries,” Gouya added.
According to the official, more data will be released on Omicron over the next two to three weeks, which can shed light on a fresh approach to the contagion and whether school reopening is the right decision. 
Most schools have switched back to in-person classes, sparking fears over another spike.