Some 50 Iranian MPs test positive for COVID as Omicron rages - lawmaker

[February 05, 2022]    (Reuters) - Some 50 members of Iran’s 290-seat parliament have contracted COVID-19, a senior MP said on Saturday as the Omicron variant spreads unabated across the county.

MP Alireza Salimi, speaking to YJC, a news agency linked to Iran’s state TV, said this week’s parliamentary session would be held in accordance with health regulations.

Parliament was suspended for two weeks last April due to an outbreak among MPs. In the early days of the pandemic, several lawmakers died from the virus.

Iran has seen a surge in cases after a brief respite following mass vaccinations. In recent days it has reported an average of more than 30,000 new infections a day. However, the number of cases over the previous 24 hours was 23,130, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.

Iran, with a population of about 85 million, has reported more than 6.5 million infections and more than 132,500 coronavirus-related deaths since the pandemic began.

More than 50 million people have received two doses of coronavirus vaccine, and more than 19 million have received three doses.

([e-mail]; Editing by Frances Kerry)

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