TEHRAN – Iranian President-elect Ebrahim Raisi on Saturday met with local authorities and experts engaged in the development and distribution of vaccines for the coronavirus.
In attendance were outgoing Health Minister Saeed Namaki, head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society Karim Hemmati, chairman of the Headquarters for Executing the Order of Imam Khomeini Muhammad Mokhber, a number of lawmakers, the CEOs of Iranian producers of vaccine, managers of the institutions and companies working on the distribution of vaccine, and the vaccination program experts.
Outgoing President Hassan Rouhani promised Saturday that his administration will make another 10 million doses of COVID vaccine available within the next two weeks and complete the vaccination of those above 65 years of age and people with underlying diseases.
Rouhani called for strict compliance with health protocols as the country is facing a pickup in coronavirus cases.
The number of patients infected with the new Delta variant of the coronavirus has soared in many provinces, he said.
“Today, we are again facing a rise in cases in almost all parts of the country,” the president said, blaming it on unnecessary travels and laxity in observing health protocols.
Rouhani said the level of public compliance with health protocols has fallen to 48 percent, adding all efforts should be focused on convincing people to take the pandemic seriously and obey health guidelines.
The death toll from the coronavirus in Iran has surpassed 86,966 since its outbreak in February 2020. So far, some 5.68 million people have received the first dose of coronavirus vaccine in the country.
Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said Saturday 15,139 new cases had been detected in the past 24 hours, during which the pandemic also took the lives of 175 people.