Iranian health authorities recorded 3,134 new cases of coronavirus and 70 deaths on Wednesday, raising the toll to 160,696 infections and 8,012 fatalities.
This came one day after Iran crossed the 3,000 mark for the first time in over two months on Tuesday, with 3,117 infections and 64 deaths.
SOCIAL DISTANCING RULES HAVE DROPPED IN MAJOR CITIES
According to health experts, the case chart over the past few weeks shows signs of a second wave hitting the country.
In an effort to allay the fears of a second wave, Iranian authorities maintain that the new cases are confined to some high-risk provinces and the fatalities have dropped substantially.
But the country’s Health Ministry has already sounded the alarm bells, urging people to observe health advisories as the battle against the disease is far from over.
Several hospitals in Tehran as Imam Khomeini Hospital and Masih Daneshvari Hospital have reported an increase in the number of incoming patients in recent weeks, adding to the burden of doctors and nurses.
Khuzestan, located on Iran’s border with Iraq, has been categorized as red or high-risk and is the only province where the government has moved to re-impose lockdown.
According to the Health Ministry, adherence to social distancing rules have dropped from 90 to 40% in major cities like Tehran, with most of the people using public transport without protective masks.