Iran Urges People to Adapt Themselves to Life Under COVID-19

President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday the activities in society should not be closed despite the pandemic.

“I’m telling our dear people, because it is not clear when this virus outbreak is over, we should stand ready to keep working and continue to acquire science and knowledge, conduct research, keep the society alive and give hope to the society, with the assumption that unfortunately this virus is here to stay with people for quite some time,” said President Rouhani.

The president said no one can tell when this will be all over.

“We should base our activities on this assumption because today no one in the world can predict when this epidemic will be over. No one can tell how many days or weeks or months from now the epidemic will be over. So, we should go about our activities from a pessimistic perspective and with long-term planning, keeping in mind that this virus is here to stay,” said the president.

He underlined activities should go on, but at the same time people should abide by health protocols.

“This is the solution: We should abide by all health protocols, and don’t forget that it is necessary to work, produce and conduct activities while taking the required precautions,” he added.

President Rouhani said the stay-at-home recommendation remains in force, urging citizens to leave home only when it is really necessary.

“Once, we would keep telling people to stay at home; now, we are telling people to stay home, too, if they have nothing essential to do outside. But we said they may leave home from a certain date onward to do necessary work and run essential errands while taking precautions,” said the president.

“We have urged people to stay out of home for as short a period of time as possible before returning home. That means we have moved from social distancing to smart social distancing,” he noted.

Elsewhere in his remarks, President Rouhani underlined that specifying certain spots in the country does not mean fellow countrymen are no required to observe health directives there anymore.

“Even today that we have divided the country into white, yellow and red areas, it does not mean, at all, that health protocols needn’t be observed in white areas. It’s quite the opposite and people in white areas must comply more fully with health protocols, so that the great achievement obtained in white areas can be well protected,” he noted.

“And all those who are in yellow and red areas should join hands and make every effort to turn those areas into white ones,” he added.

The president underscored that it is mainly up to the people to contain the spread of the virus.

“When it comes to the coronavirus issue, the key solution is in people’s hands. As no treatment has been developed, yet, for the disease, and no specific medicine has been made for the virus, and no vaccine has been developed, the most important thing is to take care,” said the president.