35% of Tehran’s state-run hospital beds serving COVID-19 patients: Governor
The governor of the Tehran province, where the Iranian capital is located, says number of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in the region’s state-run hospitals have exceeded 5,000 as he insists new restrictions meant to curb a renewed surge in the number of infections would remain in place at least for the time being.
Anoushirvan Mohseni said on Thursday that coronavirus patients currently occupy more than a third of 14,000 beds in government hospitals and care homes in Tehran province.
Mohseni said a return to a relatively normal situation, like what was seen in the capital in May and June, would require strict measures imposed on gatherings and movement.
He said a series of new restrictions announced by the government on Wednesday for Tehran and four other Iranian cities would remain in place in Tehran for the near future.
The governor said, however, that his office would introduce extra testing and screening measures to help contain the virus.
“The announced restrictions would be extended for the province of Tehran,” said Mohseni while in a ceremony to open several manufacturing and agriculture projects south of Tehran.
“With continued restrictions and carrying out additional screening tests ... (we hope) we would have a more timely identification of the infected people,” he added.
The Iranian government is struggling to contain a new wave of coronavirus cases as it has mandated the compulsory use of face masks in Tehran while imposing an outright ban on travel to and from the city for a period of four days ending Sunday.
Localized restrictions have also been introduced in several cities across Iran although the government has not welcomed proposals for a nationwide lockdown like the one seen in March and April.
The Iranian health ministry said on Thursday that number of deaths from COVID-19 has surged by 256 to reach 29,605. Health ministry spokesman Sima Sadat Lari said confirmed cases had also increased by 4,616 to 517,835 while there has been 418,054 recoveries since the pandemic began in Iran in February.
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