Health Ministry Spokesperson Sima Lari made the announcement on Saturday, saying that the total coronavirus cases in the country have so far reached 1,237,474 with the death toll standing at 55,438.
According to Lari, 4,981 patients are in critical condition while 1,004,326 patients have recovered.
So far, over 7.72 million tests have been taken across the country to detect infected cases, she added.
According to the latest figures, more than 84.44 million people have so far been infected with the novel coronavirus globally, with the deaths passing 1.84 million and recoveries nearing 60 million.
Hopes for COVID-19 vaccine rise
Iran’s Health Minister Saeed Namaki has reassured the public that although several companies in Iran are developing the Covid-19 vaccine, the government is planning to purchase the vaccine doses from credible sources around the world.
The minister’s comments came one day after Iran launched human trials for its first coronavirus vaccine, injecting the first three volunteers without any side effects such as body shocks.
According to Spokesman of Iran Food and Drug Administration Kianoush Jahanpour, the country plans to procure 56 million Covid-19 vaccine shots for its population through four different channels.
“The first vaccines to arrive in Iran will be a direct purchase from one of the several countries that have received regulatory approval for their vaccines,” he said.
Jahanpour said next will be Iran’s share from the COVAX initiative –a global initiative to ensure equitable access to coronavirus vaccines regardless of a nation’s income and attempts to roll out enough vaccines to protect vulnerable groups in the first half of 2021.
He said while US sanctions are hindering the vaccine purchase, Iran is jointly producing a vaccine against the infectious disease with Cuba, which is undergoing the second phase of human trials.
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