Iran’s health minister, Bahram Einollahi, said Thursday the country has marked its first day after more than two years without a single COVID-19 death. “We have been able to overcome a deadly virus,” He said. “This is a major milestone for us.
The ministry reported 175 new cases over the past day, which increased the number of confirmed cases to more than 7,230,000. In Iran, the official death toll is now over 141,000.
“Iran is experiencing the first day without a coronavirus death, while America and Europe still have high casualty rates,” tweeted Health Minister Bahram Einollahi.
By August 2021, at its peak during the pandemic, Iran had more than 50,000 new cases a day.
The same month also marked the highest daily number of fatalities, 709 deaths a day.
When the omicron variant was discovered, it was dominating Iran. Authorities have warned hospitals to prepare for a new wave of infections and hospitalizations.
Like many middle-income countries, Iran has relied on Sinopharm, the state-backed Chinese vaccine. There are several different types of shots in this country – Oxford-AstraZeneca, Russia’s Sputnik V, Indian firm Bharat’s Covaxin, and its homegrown COVIran Barekat shot.
Anti-American hostility has been simmering as Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has banned the import of Western shots.
Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech remain banned for safety reasons.