As of December 23, the Iranian regime’s official figures put the death toll of victims who have died because of contracting the coronavirus at 131,262. However, according to reports gathered by the Iranian opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), the actual death toll figure is four times higher than that, sitting at 491,400 as of December 23.

Many of Iran’s larger cities have recorded the highest number of deaths from Covid-19. Tehran has the highest number at 115,020. The highest figures across Iran’s provinces include: 33,870 in Isfahan; 18,520 in Fars; 18,518 in West Azerbaijan; 17,065 in Gilan; 16,290 in Lorestan; 13,245 in Qom; 8948 in Markazi (Central); and 5734 in Qazvin.

The MEK said, “The regime’s Health Ministry announced the mullahs’ engineered Covid-19 numbers from the past 24 hours on Thursday as 51 deaths and 1932 new cases. Furthermore, 2807 patients are in ICUs and 311 of the new cases have been hospitalized.”

According to the Mehr news agency, a media outlet affiliated with the regime’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), in a statement from the Hygiene Network director in the East Azerbaijan province, they warned that the omicron variant of Covid-19 is spreading across Iran at a fast rate. As a result, the advice has been given that anyone showing symptoms of the common cold should be immediately hospitalized and receive medical care urgently.

The deputy dean of Hormozgan Medical Sciences University suggested on Thursday that the peak of the omicron variant is imminent given the fast spread of this type of virus, and the country will then face a new challenge.

In a statement issued by the Shiraz Medical Sciences University on Thursday, within 24 hours they had an influx of 95 new coronavirus patients to their hospital. Of the 621 patients currently being treated there, around 121 are critically ill and undergoing treatment in the ICUs.

As for the West Azerbaijan Medical Sciences University, their hospital currently houses 415 patients who have tested positive for coronavirus. Of the 415 patients, 135 are in the ICUs, with 27 of those currently on ventilators.

In an article published in the state-run Aftab-e Yazd newspaper, many questions were posed as to how society should deal with the ongoing pandemic. The piece read, “The variant that has reached Iran will without a doubt take many lives! Now the question is in such circumstances, is it logical to have kids present in schools? The answer to this question is no because the lives of millions of students are at risk as we speak. This is a question that the officials need to provide answers to.”