Iran Has No Choice but to Impose ‘Comprehensive’ Lockdown: Rouhani

“Today the government’s main duty is to protect the people’s health and contain the coronavirus,” President Rouhani said in a Sunday meeting of the cabinet.

“Therefore, considering the spread of the disease, the surge in the number of infections and fatalities, and the heavy pressure on the country’s healthcare sector, the government has no choice but to impose new policies and restrictions at the suggestion of experts, and prevent the spread of the destructive virus through a comprehensive lockdown,” he noted.

He later issued a statement to call for the mobilisation of the entire nation and government to deal with the third wave of coronavirus in the country.

In the statement, he said due to the mutation of coronavirus and the rise of COVID-19 pandemic in the country, and at the suggestion of the Ministry of Health and the Coronavirus Operational Headquarters, the “Comprehensive Coronavirus Combat Plan” was approved at the National Task Force against Coronavirus, based on which, severe restrictions will be imposed in various cities across the country as of Saturday, November 21, 2020.

The full text of the President’s statement is as follows:

In the Name of God

Great and proud nation of Iran;

Due to the mutation of coronavirus and the rise of COVID-19 pandemic in the country, and at the suggestion of the Ministry of Health and the Coronavirus Operational Headquarters, the “Comprehensive Coronavirus Combat Plan” was approved at the National Task Force against Coronavirus, based on which, severe restrictions will be mandatory in various cities across the country as of next week [starting on Saturday]. In these conditions, the moral, religious and revolutionary duty of all of us is to preserve the life of society and to pay attention to public responsibility and to act in accordance with the requirements of these conditions. Therefore, I consider it my duty to inform the honourable people of Iran of the following:

1- I announce public mobilisation of the nation and the government to confront the third wave of coronavirus in the country;

2- I call on all government departments and other branches and institutions to give assistance to the Ministry of Health and the medical staff of the country with all their facilities by strictly implementing the resolutions of the National Task Force against Coronavirus;

3- I call on the Coronavirus Operational Headquarters to pursue the implementation by the responsible agencies of all the resolutions of the National Task Force;

4- I call on the Plan and Budget Organisation to immediately provide the funds required by the Ministry of Health and other agencies responsible for dealing with coronavirus in the implementation of this plan;

5- I call on the Ministry of Health to fully – and without any negligence – implement the plan to monitor the quarantine of patients and identify the contact and warning ring and, if necessary, impose fines;

6- I call on the Police and the Basij to implement in full and without exception the disciplinary decisions, the rules of physical distancing and severe health restrictions, and the officers to take action against the very small minority of violators who endanger the health security of the society;

7- I call on the responsible media and politicians across the country to give priority to the task of informing and persuading the public in observing the health protocols, considering the definite priority of protecting the lives of the people, and confront political and partisan views of coronavirus;

8- I also call on the intelligent and honourable people of Iran to protect other people’s general rights and their rights to life, to observe the rules of fighting coronavirus as their religious and social duty, and to invite everyone to this social duty, and do not tolerate any kind of negligence or abuse in this regard.

Hassan Rouhani

President of the Islamic Republic of Iran