Iran Coronavirus Battle: Implementing Social Distancing Plan to Start Friday
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Interior Ministry announced that implementing a social distancing plan to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus will begin in the country on Friday.
The Social-Law Enforcement Committee of the Coronavirus Battle National Headquarters at the Interior Ministry said the plan’s measures, including not holding gatherings and eliminating unnecessary travels, will be implemented starting early Friday morning and continue until April 3.
Implementations of the plan could be extended beyond that date if a decision is made by the headquarters, it added.
According to the plan, inter-city trips will be banned and only locals would be allowed to enter cities and towns.
Also, all parks as well as any sites that might draw large clusters of people, including pools, tourist sites, promenades, etc, will be closed.
Holding any official or unofficial events that could draw crowds will also be banned during this period.
Speaking about the planned new measures on Wednesday, spokesman for the Iranian administration Ali Rabiei said that public offices and businesses are all ordered closed, except for stores supplying groceries and basic supplies, until April 3.
The Judiciary is set to announce the legal implications of violating the measures, and the Law Enforcement Force is required to act upon the announcement, Rabiei said.
The policies should attain the status of a social agreement among all members of the nation, he said, adding that popular contribution to the measures would reduce the virus’ lifespan and the human cost that it could inflict.
Since emerging in central China late last year, the respiratory disease has claimed more than 21,000 lives and infected more than 468,000 others.
On Wednesday, Iran’s Health Ministry announced that the respiratory disease has so far killed 2,077 people and infected 27,017 others in the country. A total of 9,625 people have also recovered.