Chief Commander of Iran�s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami says the military force will employ the full range of�its capacities to help the health sector combat a sharp surge in coronavirus cases in the capital, Tehran, and across the country.

Salami was addressing a first virtual briefing session held Tuesday on the IRGC�s latest measures in accordance with the Leader�s order on October 8 for the Armed Forces to offer the health sector full access to their health facilities and other medical equipment amid a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Commanders at the helm of different IRGC units and its Basij Organization as well as the head of the elite force�s Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences (BMSU) were attending the meeting.

Salami�said in line with Ayatollah Khamenei�s orders and guidelines, the Armed Forces, including the IRGC, have recently been tasked with using all their capacities and capabilities to assist the health sector in their efforts to�prevent�the coronavirus spread and treat�COVID-19 patients.

Based on the Leader�s order, the IRGC is committed to offering the health sector its medical facilities, including hospitals, as well as its capabilities in producing and distributing face masks and hygiene packages besides participating in screening projects, he added.

The IRGC commander called on the Iranian people to precisely observe health protocols to help contain the virus across the country.

In March, weeks after the coronavirus first showed up in Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei issued an edict to Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri, emphasizing the need for the establishment of a �health and treatment base� to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

Over the past days, coronavirus cases have seen a sharp spike across Iran, particularly in Tehran, which some officials say is currently grappling with a third large wave of infections.

The spokeswoman for Iran�s Health Ministry, Sima Sadat Lari, said on Tuesday that a total of 508,389 individuals had contracted the coronavirus across the country so far.

She added that 254 fatalities had been registered in the past 24 hours, raising the total toll to 29,070.

Lari said as many as 411,840 individuals had recovered, and that over 4,369,622 people had been tested for the virus in the country so far.

From Saturday, wearing face masks has become compulsory in public in the capital. Residents of Tehran had already been required to wears masks in public indoors since July.

Iran�s President Hassan Rouhani on October 3 introduced stricter restrictions in Tehran to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, warning that flouters will be penalized.

Meanwhile, Iran�s Government Spokesman Ali Rabiei said on Tuesday the stricter preventive measures are only aimed at protecting�the lives of Iranians and implementing the health guidelines and protocols.

Speaking at his weekly press briefing, Rabiei noted that the national task force for fighting the coronavirus seeks to institutionalize the observation of health protocols, including social distancing and wearing masks.

 

Source: Press TV