TEHRAN – The new cases of coronavirus in Iran hit an all-time high on Tuesday amid a warning by Health Minister Saeed Namaki that the third wave of the pandemic has just flared up in the country.

Over the past 24 hours, 3,712 new cases of the disease were identified and 178 deaths were registered, Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima-Sadat Lari announced on Tuesday.

The total number of fatalities so far has reached 24,656, she confirmed.

“In March, when the disease peaked, people observed health protocols well which led to a decline in new cases and deaths. In April, the disease went into control, but due to holiday trips, the rate of compliance with the protocols decreased from 78 percent in April to 17.5 percent in late May, followed by a sharp rise in mortalities and new patients,” the deputy health minister  Alireza Raeisi said earlier this month.

Mohammad Reza Shanehsaz, head of the Food and Drug Administration, had warned that the nation needs to prepare for a 'second and third wave' of coronavirus in October and November until a vaccine is developed. But it seems that the situation has deteriorated much sooner than predicted.

MG