Iran reports 21,996 new Covid cases

Tehran, Jan 31 (IANS) Iran's Health Ministry has reported 21,996 new Covid-19 daily cases, taking the country's total infections to 6,344,179.The pandemic also claimed 44 lives in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll since the outbreak of disease in the country in February 2020 to to 132,424, the ministry was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.A total of 6,098,675 people have recovered from the disease or been discharged from hospitals across the country, while 1,404 remain in intensive care units, according to the ministry.By Sunday, 60,699,381 Iranians have received their first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, 54,040,089 two jabs, and 16,877,782 the third booster doses.A total of 44,694,344 tests have so far been carried out across the country.Gholamreza Marhaba, spokesman of the Economic Commission of the Iranian parliament, on Sunday told official news agency IRNA that 30 lawmakers have been tested positive with the Covid-19 Omicron variant.Iranian Health Minister Bahram Einollahi also warned against the surge of a new wave of Omicron-led coronavirus in the country.He called for accelerating the vaccination of the booster doses which could play a major role in curbing the spread of the virus.
--IANS int/shs

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