A top Iranian health official has warned of a “resurgence” of coronavirus cases as the country continues to battle the Middle East’s deadliest outbreak.
Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi said on September 15 that travel and people not following health protocols were causing infections to surge.
The Islamic republic has experienced a steady uptrend in deaths and infections since reaching a brief low in early September, with total cases now at more than 407,000 and the death toll at 23,453.
“Forecasts show us moving toward the third wave of the coronavirus, and it seems the wave will take shape in Tehran much earlier than other provinces,” Alireza Zali, the anti-coronavirus coordinator for the capital said on September 14.
Iran has made wearing masks mandatory in enclosed public spaces and repeatedly called on Iranians to refrain from traveling to slow the virus.