Speaking at a weekly press conference on Tuesday, Ali Rabiee said the coronavirus pandemic is still the government and the society’s main source of concern.
He noted that the Coronavirus Fight Headquarters in Tehran Province has proposed stricter restrictions to contain the spread of the disease, saying new decisions would be made in this regard.
Rabiee also blamed a rise in the cases of COVID-19 infection and deaths in Iran on not taking the disease seriously and unnecessary presence in public gatherings.
He stressed that wearing face masks by all people would help prevent the spread of the contagious disease by 99 percent, warning that the elderly have not been observing the health protocols as seriously as they used to do in the early days of the outbreak.
Rabiee further highlighted the country’s scientific achievements in the battle with COVID-19 and the growing capabilities of domestic knowledge-based companies, saying the health infrastructures and the number of hospital beds continue to grow amid concerns about a wave of coronavirus and flu in autumn.
Iran’s Health Ministry on Tuesday reported 200 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, the highest single-day toll since the viral disease broke out in February.
At least 207,000 patients have recovered from the coronavirus infection so far or have been discharged from hospitals across Iran.