DUBAI (UAE) – Non-emergency patients will no longer be admitted to hospitals because of the large number of coronavirus patients, said Iran on Friday. The governor of Tehran has extended the lockdown of public places in the capital, which is the hardest hit.
The new directive announced by deputy health minister Iraj Harirchi does not specify if it applies to the whole country or just the capital.
It is for the first time that Iran has issued such an order. The daily death toll from the novel coronavirus has reached a record 239 this week in the third wave of infections.
“Due to the large number of coronavirus outpatients and patients, hospitalisation of non-emergency patients is not allowed until further notice,” local media quoted Harirchi as saying.
In Tehran, schools, mosques, shops, restaurants and other public institutions closed for a week on Oct. 3 and the governor extended the closure on Friday for another seven days. From Saturday, masks must be worn in all public places.