Omicron was designated as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday night due to its “concerning” mutations and because “preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant”.

First identified in South Africa on November 24, the mutant has also been found in Botswana, Belgium, and Hong Kong.

number of countries around the world have now decided to ban or restrict travel to and from southern Africa.

Evidence shows that there should be more severe side effects, which is why we have taken special measures, Mohammad Mehdi Gooya, head of the diseases management center of the Ministry of Health, said, ISNA reported.

He further called on the people planning to travel to South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and Eswatini to delay their travel, adding that we provide all information at the airport and all land, air, and sea borders, meaning they will not leave the country without knowledge.

There are no direct flights from Iran to South Africa and travelers are not allowed to enter Iran, Gooya stated, noting, Iranians who want to travel must also be quarantined at the border to have two negative PCR tests.

A person may even stay in border quarantine for up to 14 days, he concluded.

In addition to a mandatory negative PCR test certificate, international travelers visiting Iran should buy coronavirus insurance, a tourism official announced on Thursday.

“Foreign tourists must buy coronavirus insurance from authorized companies when entering the country, and if they suffer from the pandemic in Iran, they will be provided with a place and treatment for 14 days,” Esmaeil Barat said, IRNA reported.

In addition to providing proof of vaccination or a negative PCR, inbound passengers must have coronavirus insurance, which differs from the routine insurance coverage purchased by all tourists before the coronavirus era, the official explained.

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Iraj Masjedi, Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad, made the remarks during a meeting on Monday with Hani al-Oqabi, Iraq’s Minister of Health and Environment.

The two officials discussed the documents signed on health issues between the two countries and the cancellation of coronavirus PCR tests at Baghdad and Najaf airports, ISNA reported.

Referring to the additional protocol to a memorandum of understanding signed on health cooperation during coronavirus crisis, Masjedi stressed the need for mutual respect to adhere to the document and omit mandatory PCR tests at Iraqi airports.

“With the efforts of the embassy, mandatory PCR test at Iranian airports has been canceled, so that Iraqi passengers will be able to enter the Islamic Republic with a negative PCR test card,” he concluded.

Earlier in May, Health Minister Saeed Namaki emphasized the need for retesting all the passengers at land, sea, and air borders, considering fake negative COVID-19 test certificates of Iraqi passengers.

As some Iraqi passengers have violated travel checks by showing fake test certificates, and after retesting, they tested positive, so that all should be tested at the borders despite having a certificate, Namaki explained.

In February, Khuzestan province’s governor general said Iraqi nationals visiting Iran have worsened the coronavirus pandemic in the southwestern province.

More than 300 Iraqi nationals cross Chazzabeh and Shalamcheh borders per day, Qassem Soleimani-Dashtaki said, adding that the issue has contributed to a rise in the number of coronavirus cases.

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During the aforesaid period, IRCS forces have screened 309,347 passengers for COVID-19, 15,749 of whom with symptoms underwent PCR and 41,736 rapid tests, he said, IRNA reported on Friday.

He went on to lament that some 58 individuals, who tested positive, have so far been temporarily quarantined, under a plan to rapidly identify suspected cases of coronavirus and prevent the spread of new UK strain.

Some 471 members of the IRCS cooperate for carrying out the plan in 16 provinces across the country, Valipour concluded.

With the cooperation of ministries of health and transport, a plan is being implemented with the goal of rapidly identifying and testing 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.

Around 8,000 individuals enter the country via borders on a daily basis.

New cases and mortalities

In a press briefing on Friday, Health Ministry’s spokesperson, Sima-Sadat Lari, confirmed 11,250 new cases of COVID-19 infection, raising the total number of infections to 2,815,882. She added that 2,304,824 patients have so far recovered, but 5,015 remain in critical conditions of the disease.

During the past 24 hours, 200 patients have lost their lives, bringing the total number of deaths to 78,194, she added.

So far, 18,683,814 COVID-19 diagnostic tests have been performed in the country.

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