The electronic news sites reported on the extension of the nationwide lockdown for another 10 days. The "Al-Siyasah" website stated that there was a unanimous agreement in the Corona Committee to extend the lockdown for 10 days, with plans to gradually reopen the country after February 18. The newspaper "Al-Akhbar" published an article titled "The Great Outbreak Does Not Reduce Infections," stating that the complete lockdown has entered its third week while the positivity rate of laboratory tests for the COVID-19 virus remains above 20%. The World Health Organization recommends that this rate should not exceed 5% for a full two weeks before deciding to reopen the country.
The article published by "Al-Akhbar" noted that out of approximately 14,500 tests, the Ministry of Health recorded 3,125 infections (5 of which were imported) and 59 deaths, raising the total number of pandemic victims to 2,680. The relative decrease in infections is primarily attributed to the reduced number of tests conducted, while intensive care units are still overwhelmed with critical cases totaling 951 at night, indicating that discussing positive results in the path to containment of the virus is still premature.
Furthermore, it was stated: "Does this mean the lockdown will be extended? According to the Ministry of Health's atmosphere, studying this option is not currently on the table, while Araji indicated that doctors' opinions will solidify by February 5, with measures to be taken that consider the resilience of residents if an extension is decided." Additionally, "Al-Akhbar" mentioned that discussing the extension of the lockdown beyond February 8 is linked to the fact that the arrival of the first batch of vaccines at the beginning of next month will not be sufficient to curb infections, particularly since it is suggested that community immunity will not be achieved until next fall, necessitating the continuation of the same lifestyle imposed by the virus, including wearing masks, avoiding gatherings, and adhering to preventive measures.
