Vaccination Set to Regain Momentum Amid Covid Surge      

Alireza Zali, head of Tehran’s coronavirus operations, said on Sunday that everyone should get a booster dose of a Covid-19 vaccine as active cases surged and experts warned of another wave hitting the country in the near future. 
“We estimate to see new coronavirus waves in the coming weeks,” Zali was quoted as saying by ISNA. 
Daily outpatient visits across the province of Tehran had dropped to 1,500 until two weeks ago. Over the past 24 hours, 4,000 patients complaining of Covid-like symptoms visited Tehran’s hospitals, according to Zali. 
The official noted that any coronavirus shot after the initial two doses are considered boosters. 
“Considering the new waves, citizens, especially healthcare personnel, should administer a booster dose,” he added. 
For the first time in roughly two months, overnight fatalities from Covid-19 rose to two-digit figures.
The Health Ministry on Sunday registered ten deaths, taking the national toll to 141,439. At its worst, the contagion killed 700 Iranians a day. 
The ministry also logged some 2,300 newly identified infections that brought the total number of cases to 7.24 million. 
New variants of the highly contagious Omicron, named BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, are currently circulating in Iran and around the world. 
They were first detected in South Africa in January and later traveled to Europe and the United States. 
The subvariants are known for their vaccine-evading mutations that have prompted pharmaceutical companies to adapt their Covid vaccines to the new changes. 
It is not yet clear if the new variants can cause more severe diseases but they can easily spread from one person to another. 
The arrival of another wave is also reflected in city codes established by the Health Ministry to monitor the virus throughout the country. 
Last week, none of Iran’s cities had been coded as red or orange, standing for extremely high-risk and high-risk regions. 
This weekend, the Health Ministry’s updates showed a marked increase in red and orange areas, with red cities going from zero to four and orange cities going from zero to 14. 

Border Control Tightened

President Ebrahim Raisi during Saturday’s weekly Covid meeting highlighted border control and said that anyone arriving into the country should have a negative coronavirus test. 
“Travelers entering via sea, land or air should follow health guidelines and have Covid test results,” the top official said. 
He also advised the public, especially vulnerable populations, to receive a booster shot ahead of schools and universities reopening. 
The elderly, people with pre-existing conditions, healthcare providers and anyone who has not received a coronavirus vaccine in the past six months have been encouraged to get booster shots. 
The government is planning to relaunch the vaccination campaign ahead of the new school year and the return of religious ceremonies. 
Some 20-25% of Iranians eligible to get a Covid vaccine have refused to do so. 
Around the world, more than 560.3 million people have contracted the respiratory disease and 6.37 million have lost their lives to it.