Iran’s president announces stricter restrictions in capital to stem coronavirus, warns violators

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has introduced stricter restrictions in the capital Tehran to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, warning that flouters will be penalized.

Speaking during a meeting of the national task force for fighting the coronavirus on Saturday, Rouhani said civil servants and businesses will face punishment if they violate the new health guidelines.

“In today's meeting concerning Tehran, we approved that all our civil servants in the country, whether in governmental or non-governmental sectors, and those who own a business, will be dealt strongly if they do not care about [the rules],” he noted, explaining that punishments range from a reprimand to a one-year suspension from work.

The businesses, which do not abide by the coronavirus restrictions, will be closed, Rouhani added.

He also said the people, who go to a bank, office or shop without respecting health protocols should not receive a service, otherwise the directors of those businesses will be fined.

“Providing services to those who do not observe hygiene principles is also punishable. The person who wants a service must honor the hygiene rules, and if someone does not follow the principles, we will punish the service provider,” he underlined.

The president further stressed that the situation is different in the country’s provinces, with some of them having only one peak, others two and the remaining entering the pandemic's third peak.

“If we want to stay away from this dangerous disease, we must precisely observe the hygiene principles,” he said.

Iranian scientists developing COVID-19 vaccine

COVID-19 keeps killing people around the world and no treatment is available to rein in the pandemic.

Iran has been contending with the deadliest pandemic the world has seen in many decades amid illegal US sanctions, which have seriously hampered efforts to stem the outbreak.

So far, more than 464,596 Iranians have been infected with COVID-19 in Iran. Over 26,567 people have died, while 385,264 have recovered.

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