Iranian Regions Categorized Based on Coronavirus Threat

Iran’s National Coronavirus Headquarters has decided to put all areas of the country into three categories based on the COVID-19 outbreak and the threat of spread of the disease, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says.

Addressing a Sunday session of the National Coronavirus Headquarters in Tehran, President Rouhani said a plan has been ratified to categorize various regions of the country as “white, yellow and red zones” based on the threat posed by COVID-19.

The president said each region will fall into one of those three categories on the basis of the coronavirus morbidity rate, the extent of outbreak, and the regulations introduced by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education.

Various restrictions and regulations relating to the coronavirus outbreak will apply to each of the three zones, the president added.

More than 100 cities would fall into the white zone category, he noted, saying as long as a region remains in the white zone, the religious sites could reopen in that area and the congregational prayers and Friday prayers could be held in there.

President Rouhani explained that an area will be declared a white zone when there is no report of new coronavirus cases and deaths for two weeks.

The Health Ministry will be drawing a map to define the white, yellow and red zones according to its criteria, he added.

The president then underscored that the smart social distancing scheme must be strictly observed without any interruption, stressing that reopening of businesses should not translate into an end to COVID-19 and resumption of the normal life.

The best way to defeat the coronavirus epidemic is to observe the social distancing regulations, the health protocols, and personal hygiene, President Rouhani noted.

He further pointed to a new decision on the mandatory use of face masks and gloves in the subway, saying the Interior Ministry will announce the start of the compulsory plan.

President Rouhani also highlighted Iran’s success in meeting the domestic demand for the medical supplies in the battle with the coronavirus, saying the hospitals across the country have been equipped with 1,100 more beds, 425 ICU (intensive care unit) beds, and 900 respiratory devices.