Iran Sees COVID-19 Cases Rise Again... Has the Second Wave Begun?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hye-min] Concerns are rising that a 'second wave' of COVID-19 may have begun in Iran as the number of new daily confirmed cases has increased again to 2,000.

On the 19th (local time), the Iranian Ministry of Health announced that the daily number of new confirmed cases reached 2,111.

Since the first confirmed case was reported on February 19, Iran's daily new confirmed cases exceeded 3,000 at the end of March. The number then dropped to 802 on the 2nd of this month, suggesting a calming trend, but on the 15th it rose again above 2,000 and increased to 2,294 on the 18th. As of the 19th, the cumulative number of confirmed cases reached 124,603. The death toll was recorded at 7,119.

The rebound in Iran's daily new confirmed cases occurred two weeks after the government eased restrictions on interregional travel and business closures. Considering the economic impact, Iranian authorities plan to further ease restrictions on multi-use facilities such as schools, gyms, and cultural centers, raising concerns that the number of confirmed cases may increase further.

In response, the Iranian government stated that rather than COVID-19 spreading again, the situation has entered a control phase. About a quarter of the new confirmed cases occurred in Khuzestan Province in the southwest, bordering Iraq, where cluster infections took place in local communities. They reported that most other regions have stabilized.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.