Iran initiates widespread lockdowns across the country

Effective Monday, Iran is imposing a general quarantine across the country. It includes all bazaars, markets and public offices as well as theaters, gyms, and restaurants. A week-long driving ban takes effect Sunday.

Hospitals are overflowing as Iran battles the highly contagious Delta variant. The president of the Intensive Care Association says the situation is "catastrophic" because in some cases there is simply not enough treatment available for so many patients.

After initially minimizing the risks of the pandemic, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei now calls it Iran's most urgent issue. InJanuary, he banned Western vaccines but now says vaccinesmust be made accessible to Iranians through imports and domestic production. Only about three percent of Iranians are fully vaccinated.

The administration of new PresidentEbrahim Raisi has been criticized for nominating as health minister a doctor who supported the ban on vaccine imports.

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