TEHRAN (Iran News) – Over 131,000 passengers have so far been screened for coronavirus by thermal tests at the country’s official borders within a month (March 10 – April 9), the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) spokesperson said on Saturday.
Since March 10, 131,389 passengers were screened for COVID-19 by IRCS forces, 7,166 of whom with symptoms underwent PCR and 22,203 rapid tests, IRNA quoted Mohammad-Hassan Qosian as saying.
He went on to lament that some 44 individuals, who tested positive, have so far been temporarily quarantined.
With the cooperation of ministries of health and transport, a plan was implemented to rapidly identify and test incoming passengers and keeping them in quarantine facilities, if necessary.
Thirty border checkpoints have been selected, including 18 land borders, nine air borders, and three sea borders, all incoming passengers will be tested and referred to the quarantine facilities in case of necessity.
Some 5,000 members of the IRCS cooperate for carrying out the plan; while around 8,000 individuals enter the country via borders daily, IRCS head, Karim Hemmati said on March 26.
Iraqi nationals visiting Iran have worsened the coronavirus pandemic in the southwestern Khuzestan province, the province’s governor general said on February 20.
More than 300 Iraqi nationals cross Chazzabeh and Shalamcheh borders on a daily basis, Qassem Soleimani-Dashtaki said, adding that the issue has contributed to a rise in the number of coronavirus cases.
Last week, President Hassan Rouhani said that the fourth wave of COVID-19 resurgence has been registered in two provinces.
“If people in other provinces do not observe (health guidelines), they may experience the fourth wave as well,” Rouhani was quoted as saying.
“According to the statistics, compliance with health guidelines has decreased,” he warned.
