Iran Reopens Outdoor Centres of Recreation as Coronavirus Peters Out

Mounesan announced on Tuesday that people in Iran can visit the open-air places of recreation as well as the hiking and mountaineering sites by observing the health protocols.

He said the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism places no more restrictions on those sites as long as the visitors conform to the health regulations.

However, the minister noted, it is still illegal to pitch tents and make public camps in the parks for overnight stays in a way that would lead to the gatherings and a crowd of travellers and campers.

He advised the campers to use the official sites operating under authorization from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism.

Mounesan also noted that he has asked the Interior Ministry to order the provincial officials, the Police and the security authorities to endorse the new decision and allow people to enjoy the ecotourism attractions and the open-air recreational centres easily, considering that the current situation in the society after the coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent problems have mounted mental pressures on the citizens.

The outbreak of COVID-19 in February forced the Iranian officials to abort the nationwide Nowruz celebrations and enforce the closure of parks, religious sites, mountaineering sites, museums, and historic sites across the country.

Iran’s Health Ministry says the novel coronavirus outbreak is reaching the containment phase in many parts of the country, calling for strict compliance with the social distancing protocols to defeat the contagious disease.