The World Health Organization has warned of the possibility of a large wave of infection with the Corona virus in a number of countries in the Middle East and North Africa, at a time when fears are increasing about the catastrophic consequences of this possible outbreak of the virus.

The World Health Organization attributed the causes of the wave to the rapid spread of the delta mutant and to the slow reception of antiviral vaccine doses in most countries of the region. The organization said that Libya, Iran, Iraq and Tunisia witnessed in the past few weeks the registration of high infections, and that Lebanon and Morocco may go through the same stage.

The organization also expressed its concern about the situation in the region in the coming weeks due to the advent of religious occasions in which gatherings increase, such as Eid al-Adha, and the laxity of many societies in adhering to the rules of prevention and public health.

Tunisia and Iraq

Tunisia is currently going through difficult times due to the rapid spread of the virus, as the intensive care departments in hospitals were filled and reached their maximum capacity, while the country recorded the highest rate of deaths and injuries in the region in relation to the population.

On Tuesday, Tunisia recorded 157 deaths, which is the highest daily death toll since the outbreak of the pandemic last year, which brings the total deaths due to the Corona virus to about 17,000, and infections to about 500,000 cases.

Officials said that the health care system collapsed and that the situation was catastrophic, due to the inability of the intensive care and emergency departments to accommodate the increasing numbers of patients and the acute shortage of oxygen, which prompted President Qais Saeed to launch a distress call to the international community.

A Qatari mobile hospital in the Tunisian city of Ben Arous to confront Corona (Reuters)

In Iraq, the Ministry of Health said, on Wednesday, that the country will move towards a comprehensive closure, following the escalation of the number of infections with the Corona virus, and the weak demand for receiving the vaccine against the virus, and the last partial closure imposed by Iraq in early May for 10 days.

The ministry indicated, in a statement, the failure of Iraqi citizens to respond as required to its directives to social distance, receive anti-Corona vaccines and wear masks, and expressed its regret for the poor cooperation of citizens in implementing preventive measures and the delay in taking safe vaccines available in all hospitals and health centers.

On Wednesday, Iraq recorded the highest number of Corona infections since the outbreak of the virus in February 2020, with 9,635 cases, and the highest number of infections was recorded on Monday, with 9,149 cases.

Jordan warns

In Amman, the Jordanian Minister of Health, Firas Al-Hawari, warned of a new outbreak of the Corona virus in his country, noting that the delta mutation has become prevalent in the newly recorded infections.

Al-Hawari said that the rise in the frequency of positive results of tests for the detection of corona raises the alarm and puts the country in real concern about the possibility of the epidemic re-spreading again, noting that more than 80% of infections in the capital, Amman, are delta mutated.

As of Monday evening, the total number of Corona injuries in Jordan since the beginning of the pandemic has reached 757,690, including 9,843 deaths, and 740,546 cases of recovery.

new focus

In Asia, Indonesia, which announced on Wednesday a record 54,000 infections with the Corona virus in 24 hours, became the new epicenter of the epidemic on the continent, exceeding the number of infections in India.

The increase in cases has caused hospitals to reach their full capacity, many patients are dying in their homes, while families are desperately searching for oxygen canisters.

The Indonesian authorities announced strict restrictions last week, including the closure of commercial centers, restaurants and offices, but the advent of Eid al-Adha next week raises fears of the worst in this Muslim-majority country.

Indonesia has become a new focus for Corona in East Asia (Anatolia)

european invitation

Meanwhile, the European Medicines Authority said on Wednesday that giving two doses of the vaccine is necessary to protect against the delta mutator of the Corona virus, calling on European Union member states to speed up their vaccination programs.

The authority said in a statement that "preliminary data indicate that two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine are necessary to provide adequate protection against the delta variant," and stressed the need to "comply with the recommended vaccination to benefit from the highest level of protection."

The authority added that the Delta strain of the Corona virus will constitute 90% of the strains circulating in the European Union by the end of next August.