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Iran’s Covid-19 Cases Hit New Record as Delta Variant Surges

Iran’s Covid-19 Cases Hit New Record as Delta Variant Surges

Iran reported its biggest surge in new Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic as the faster-spreading delta variant overwhelms a sluggish vaccination campaign.

Authorities registered 37,189 new infections on Monday, up from 32,511 the day before. The death toll rose by 411 overnight, the highest since April. Iran’s Health Ministry has now reported 91,406 deaths and 3.9 million infections.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency said that a group of government scientists and experts had called for a fully enforced, nationwide lockdown for two weeks to slow the spread of the delta strain.

Iran’s effort to vaccinate a population of more than 80 million people lags behind many of its neighbors, with just 6.1% of people having received at least one jab, compared to 40% in Saudi Arabia, 78% in the United Arab Emirates and 44% in Turkey, according to data gathered by Bloomberg.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.