Iran Covid Infections Jump After New Year Holidays

Tehran, April 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Apr, 2021 ) :Iran's daily new Covid-19 infections reached a four-month high on Monday as the capital Tehran was put on the highest virus risk level, with authorities blaming increased travelling.

The Islamic republic is battling the middle East's deadliest coronavirus outbreak, and case numbers have risen following a surge in trips during the Iranian new year holidays that started on March 18.

In the past 24 hours, 13,890 new coronavirus cases were recorded, health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said in televised remarks.

It is the highest number of daily infections since December 4, and close to the peak of 14,051 positive cases recorded on November 28.

The new reported cases brought the total number of infections to over 1.94 million, according to Lari.

Health Minister Saeed Namaki said Iran is facing "one of the most severe waves" of coronavirus.

"Sadly, no one listened to me about managing travel, and today we're facing a great difficulty," he said, according to the ministry's website.

"We've now lost the reins (of the virus), and it's not clear when we can go below triple digit deaths."Some officials, including Namaki, have admitted in the past that the virus numbers are likely higher than official figures.