Health Centers Instructed to Remain Alert to New Covid Variants

President Ebrahim Raisi called on hospitals and other medical facilities to remain vigilant in the face of possible new Covid outbreaks in a meeting of the National Coronavirus Headquarters. 
“All hospitals, national health centers, and the Red Crescent Society are to stay prepared for possible new Covid-19 variants,” Raisi was quoted as saying by his website on Saturday. 
The top official noted that a steady supply of equipment and medicine would ensure the readiness of the country to tackle any new strain of the contagious coronavirus. 
He pointed to the sharp drop in coronavirus infections and mortalities and thanked health care personnel for their heroic sacrifices over the past two years.
Iran’s daily Covid death rate has declined to under 20 over the past few weeks. On Sunday, the Health Ministry logged only eight fatalities throughout the country and some 368 new cases. 
Daily new cases had surged to nearly 40,000 in early February and 200 overnight deaths was a common occurrence in the same time period. 
In the past 10 days, 17 people contracted the virus and less than one person died from it every hour, on average. None of Iran’s cities are placed on the Covid-19 red alert any longer. 

Health Protocols Ignored

Adherence to the facemask-wearing mandate, has fallen to an average of 48% across Iran. The lowest rate belongs to the province of Qom, where the respiratory illness was first spotted, with an adherence rate of 37%. 
Despite the rather widespread dismissal of most Covid safety measures by the general public in the past few months, the numbers have remained low, thanks to high vaccination coverage rates and a fast rollout of Covid vaccines that made a majority of the population of 85 million people immune to the virus in a short period from mid-summer to winter. 
Iran is continuing to give out vaccines to immunize the public against the contagion. In the past 24 hours, 36,000 more doses were administered, bringing the total number of jabs injected to 149.4 million. 
So far some 64.4 million people have gotten the first dose, 57.7 million have received both shots and 27.3 have been given a third booster shot to further boost their body’s immune system. 
Health experts have warned of public complacency and urged everyone to remain alert to emerging new variants. The government is calling for a fourth dose for those most vulnerable to the disease to ensure their safety.