Iran Announces New Directives on Fight against COVID-19

President Hassan Rouhani, who was presiding the meeting on Sunday, said businesses can start work on April 11, 2020.

“As for low-risk businesses and economic activities which do not pose high risks, it was decided that they resume work in provinces [other than Tehran] on April 11 while observing protocols announced by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education,” said the president.

He said the health protocols should be observed fully and that trade unions as well as the health ministry should monitor the enforcement of the protocols.

“If needed, the Basij Force can contribute to the monitoring work as well because we don’t want economic businesses and activities to affect the health of the society, so all [health] protocols should be adhered to,” the president added.

“In Tehran province, businesses can resume their activities on Saturday, April 18, 2020, and, again, the same health protocols should be observed and the required monitoring should be in place,” he noted.

“The resumption of these activities does not mean that we have forgotten the stay-at-home directive, and those whose presence in the street and society is not essential had better stay home,” he said.

“Our activities in the society should be minimized to the lowest necessary level,” the president said.

The president noted that two-thirds of civil servants are required to go to work, and the remaining one-third can stay home.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the president noted that economic activities and measures to preserve people’s health are not mutually exclusive.

“Ill-wishers and anti-revolutionaries seek to create the impression that people have to choose between health and economic activities, but this is not true,” he said.

“Both economic activities and health protocols can be implemented together,” said the president.

President Rouhani also said that the “Smart Social Distancing Plan” was also discussed at the meeting.

President Rouhani underscored that although the coronavirus outbreak has negatively affected the society, it has had spin-offs as well, such as a reduction in traffic and air pollution and boosting national unity.