Arab News

JEDDAH: Almost the whole of Iran was on a coronavirus “red alert” on Monday as cases and deaths rose to record levels.

Authorities reported 3,902 new cases in 24 hours, a new daily high, taking the total to 475,674. The death toll rose by 235, equaling the record set on July 28, to a total of 27,192.

Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said 26 of Iran’s 31 provinces were now “red” zones, the highest alert level, and four were at the next “orange” level.

Iran was slow to respond to the initial coronavirus outbreak, and is now the worst-affected country in the Middle East. There is skepticism about official figures for cases and deaths, which analysts both inside and outside the country believe are under estimated.

Health chiefs have complained that many Iranians have defied regulations requiring them to wear face masks and some families used lockdowns to go on trips, spreading the virus while hospitals are nearly full.

“If people keep going on weekend trips … our patients might have to go to field hospitals,” said Masoud Mardani, a member of the state coronavirus task force.

In Saudi Arabia, the severity of the pandemic continues to wane. There are now fewer than 10,000 active COVID-19 patients, and the Kingdom recorded only 379 new cases on Monday, taking the total since February to 336,766. The death toll rose by 23 to 4,898.

Worldwide, the virus has infected more than 35.5 million people and killed just
over a million.