Iran's death toll from the novel coronavirus had passed the 20,000 mark and confirmed infections passed 302,000, Tehran announced Wednesday, as the government’s pandemic policies continue to spark public criticism.

In a videoconference briefing, spokesperson for Iran’s Health Ministry Sima Sadat Laari said that transmission of the illness is at alarming levels in 26 out of 31 provinces. She also claimed virus has been found to be 10 times more potent than it was in the onset of the outbreak back in February.

A brief period of respite in May and early June had raised hopes among Iranians that the pandemic was about to be subdued. Their hope was shattered, however, in July and August, as the country started to grapple with a resurgence largely blamed on a hasty economic reopening.

And now the picture could turn even bleaker. On Aug. 21, Iran will enter a 10-day period of public mourning as the religious month of Muharram begins. The mass chest-beating rituals have for centuries shaped the identity of Shiite Islam and are a popular practice passionately observed by its followers. In consideration of the crowded nature of those ceremonies, Iran has been debating whether this year’s events should be suspended or modified over the past several weeks.