Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announces tougher COVID-19 restrictions amid rising cases

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has ordered a strengthening of COVID-19 restrictions to curb the spread of the virus amidst rising cases in the country. The new restrictions that were introduced on Saturday, September 26 will also include steep fines for non-compliance with the COVID-19 measures.

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Iran strengthening COVID-19 restrictions

The Iranian government is reported to have devised a strict plan to contain the virus which includes penalties for non- compliance with directives such as wearing masks. As per a government press release, Rouhani has said, “After being approved in the upcoming meeting of the National Coronavirus Headquarters, this plan and pertinent regulations will be put in force first in Greater Tehran and next in other major cities across the country”.

The Iranian President has also given local governors the authority to shut down public places and business for up to a week at their discretion. The tougher COVID-19 restrictions also mean that all religious activities for the upcoming Arba`een holiday also stand cancelled. With the sudden surge in new COVID-19 cases, Iran is also reported to be considering lockdowns once again on a larger scale.

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Israel enters second national lockdown

Meanwhile, Israel entered the second week of reimposed national lockdown on Friday, September 25. For the next two weeks, all non-essential business has been ordered to close and people have been instructed to stay within 1,000 metres of their home.

The decision to implement a second national lockdown by the Israeli PM Netanyahu has been widely unpopular. The Israeli leader has faced protests outside his residence due to his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, as per reports.

As per John Hopkins coronavirus resource centre, Iran has reported over 400,000 positive COVID-19 cases with the death toll exceeding 25,000. The COVID-19 pandemic which saw its first outbreak in a wet market in Wuhan, China last year has now spread all across the world. The virus, named COVID-19 by the World Health Organisation, has infected over 32 million people worldwide with the global death toll reaching over 979,000. The US has reported more than 7.2 million positive COVID-19 cases and a death toll of over 200,000.

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(With ANI Inputs)