Iran Government Approves Partial Reopening of Some Shops and Factories... Partial Easing of COVID-19 Measures

[Image source= AFP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] The Iranian government has approved the reopening of some stores and factories in the 'low-risk private sector' that had been closed for a week due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

On the 11th (local time), Iranian President Hassan Rouhani eased restrictions related to COVID-19, stating, "If the public continues to follow hygiene guidelines and cooperate with government policies as they have done so far, we will succeed in creating an environment to control the virus."

President Rouhani added, "Even in low-risk sectors, social distancing must be strictly observed until the epidemic completely disappears."

On the same day, the Iranian government also ordered that up to two-thirds of public officials return to work, while the rest, especially those who need to care for their children, continue to work from home. Last week, about one-third of public officials were going to work.

However, the closure of high-risk public facilities where people gather densely, such as cinemas, restaurants, and cultural performance venues, will continue, and school closures will remain in effect.

The capital, Tehran, is scheduled to resume operations in the low-risk private sector starting from the 18th, one week later.

Meanwhile, as of the 11th, Iran has 70,029 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 4,357 deaths. The number of new confirmed cases is declining, and the recovery rate has risen to 60%.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.