Iran imposes new restrictions as the number of coronaviruses increases

(Reuters) – Iranians who do not wear masks will be denied state services and workplaces that do not comply with health protocols will be closed for a week, President Hassan Rouhani said Saturday when he launched new measures to try to curb the coronavirus.

Iran has been fighting the spread of the coronavirus, with the total number of cases reaching 237,878 on Saturday and another 148 deaths, bringing the death toll to 11,408, Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said in the state television.

The wearing of masks becomes mandatory starting Sunday in covered public places, Rouhani said on state television after tighter restrictions were imposed on cities and towns in five provinces where the outbreak is increasing after a decrease in blockades. since mid-April.

“Government employees should not serve people who do not wear masks and employees who do not wear them should be considered absent and sent home,” said Rouhani.

And a government website posted photos of Rouhani, who is rarely seen wearing a mask, with a covered face.

Those infected have a “religious duty” to notify others, Rouhani said, adding: “Keeping your infection a secret violates other people’s rights.”

The government has been trying to convince a public reluctant to accept masks, and a week-long campaign by state television has been warning viewers that “Corona is not a joke.”

A television presenter at the end of each newscast puts on her mask and says: “There is no one in my immediate three meters, but I wear a mask outside the studio. You also carry one.

State media reported on Saturday that 19 Iranian soccer players from the national clubs Esteghlal and Foolad Khuzestan had tested positive for the coronavirus.

And five Iranian members of parliament also tested positive, the semi-official Fars news agency said.

Meanwhile, Iran’s armed forces have cut their basic combat training to one month due to the further spread.