Coronavirus has infected 2.5 crore Iranians: Prez Hassan Rouhani

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said that Coronavirus has infected 2.5 crore Iranians. During a televised meeting of the country’s virus-fighting taskforce, he said, the pandemic can infect 3.5 crore Iranians as the country is yet to develop herd immunity.

Rouhani also said that Iran may have to prepare itself for double the amount of hospitalisations it has had in the past five months. Later, Rouhani’s deputy head of communications, Alireza Moezi explained that the 2.5 crore infections refers to those who have encountered the virus and achieved complete immunity.

It appears to be the first time a senior Iranian official has indicated the country is seeking to defeat COVID-19 via herd immunity.

The rising toll has prompted authorities to reimpose restrictions in worst-hit provinces after being lifted country-wide in April. The Islamic republic has been struggling to contain the Middle East’s worst COVID-19 outbreak since announcing its first cases in mid-February. Iran has refrained from imposing full lockdowns but closed schools, cancelled public gatherings and banned travel between provinces in March, before lifting the restrictions the next month to reopen its sanctions-hit economy.