TEHRAN: Iranians who do not wear masks will be denied state services and workplaces that fail to comply with health protocols will be shut for a week, President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday (Jul 4) as he launched new measures to try to curb the coronavirus.
Iran has been battling the spread of the coronavirus, with the total number of cases hitting 237,878 on Saturday and a further 148 deaths bringing the country's toll to 11,408, Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on state television.
Advertisement
Advertisement
READ: Iran urges people to wear face masks amid fears of new coronavirus wave
Wearing masks becomes mandatory from Sunday in covered public places, Rouhani said on state television after tougher curbs were imposed in cities and towns in five provinces where the outbreak is rising after an easing of lockdowns from mid-April.
A man wearing a protective face mask walks a street, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Tehran, Iran on Jun 28, 2020. (Photo: WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)
"Government employees should not serve people who do not wear masks and employees who do not wear them should be considered absentees and sent home," said Rouhani.
Advertisement
Advertisement
And a government website published photos of Rouhani, who is rarely seen wearing a mask, with a face covering.
Those infected have a "religious duty" to notify others, Rouhani said, adding: "Keeping your infection a secret violates the rights of other people".
The government has been trying to convince a reluctant public to accept masks and a week-long campaign by state television has been warning viewers that "Corona is not a joke".
One TV presenter at the end of every newscast puts on her mask and says: "There is no one in my immediate three metres, but I wear a mask outside the studio. You, too, wear one."
State media reported oRead More – Source
[contf] [contfnew] 
channel news asia
[contfnewc] [contfnewc]
