Travel Bans as Death Toll Hits Record High

With 279 deaths in one day, on October 14, Iran broke its record of daily coronavirus fatalities for the third time in a week.

Following a spike in the number of coronavirus cases and deaths over the last week, President Rouhani’s administration ordered lockdowns in five metropolitan areas: Tehran, Isfahan, Urmia, Karaj and Mashhad. With the tight restrictions, the government aims to restrict travel during the forthcoming three-day holiday in Iran.

Confirming the news, Kianoush Jahanpour, director of the health ministry’s public relations, said: “the health ministry proposed to the National Coronavirus Taskforce that travel should be restricted to and from five cities where coronavirus infections are rather high.” Jahanpour emphasized that the restrictions did not apply to movement within the cities. The quarantine started at midnight on October 14 and will last until noon on Sunday, October 18.

Most people traveling from Tehran during the holidays, which mark the death of the Prophet Muhammad and the martyrdom of Imam Hassan, visit the scenic northern provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran. Members of parliament from Mazandaran appealed to President Rouhani, asking him in a joint letter to close the roads that connect Tehran to the province during the holidays, according to Mohammad Ali Mohseni Bandpey, a member of the parliament’s Health Committee. The government has yet to respond to the request, and given that the holiday begins on October 15, it is unlikely that the MPs’ wish will be granted. However, the ministry of roads said the main thoroughfare of Chalus between Karaj near Tehran and Mazandaran was due to be closed for repairs and improvements from October 14 until 7am on October 18.

On October 11, it became mandatory for people to wear masks in Tehran province, at least for two weeks, and people violating the rules will face fines. Why are the fines only imposed in Tehran and why is this only for two weeks? Members of the public and the media asked Jahanpour. “This is absolutely not true,” Jahanpour said. There is no time limit, he insisted, and then added: “After studying  various aspects following Tehran’s experience, it will be carried out across the country."

Dr. Minoo Moharez, a member of the National Coronavirus Taskforce’s Scientific Committee, said the epidemic is now many times worse than it was during the first wave in March and April. “The hospitals have no spaces left, patients are standing in line to be admitted to hospitals and the number of patients in critical condition, as well as the number of elderly patients, have grown enormously,” she said.

Dr. Moharez also acknowledged the new phenomenon of entire families becoming infected with coronavirus. “We are seeing a lot of families who have been infected together. This shows that family members are in close physical contact with each other. Of course, the reopening of schools and universities and traveling have done their part [to push the number of infections up] as well.”

Provinces Round-up

In the 24-hour-period spanning October 13 and October 14, 65 new coronavirus patients tested positive in Kermanshah province and 11 have died, reported Mehdi Mohammadi, head of the coronavirus information committee of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. According to Mohammadi, as of October 14, 565 Covid-19 patients were hospitalized across the province.

Coronavirus restrictions started on October 14 in 36 cities in Fars province and will continue until October 23, announced Abdolreza Ghasempour, the governor of Fars. “If health protocols on buses and on the metro in Shiraz are not observed they will be closed down,” he warned. Many of the province’s religious, educational and entertainment centers, including cinemas, universities, seminaries, gyms, beauty salons and cafés have been shut down, and restaurants and fast food and ice cream bars are only allowed to provide take-out services.

Restrictions will be imposed in Alborz province, where in the last 24 hours, 120 new Covid-19 patients have been hospitalized, reported Dr. Mohammad Fathi, president of Alborz University of Medical Sciences. “Currently, 751 patients are hospitalized at the province’s treatment centers, of whom 350 have tested positive,” he said. In the last 24 hours 14 Covid-19 patients died, bringing the total death toll in the province to 1,351.

In her daily briefing for October 14, the health ministry spokeswoman Dr. Sima Sadat Lari announced the official coronavirus statistics for the last 24 hours:

Dr. Lari also reported that, out of the 31 Iranian provinces, currently 30 provinces are still in a high state of alert:

This is part of IranWire's coronavirus chronology. Read the full chronology