TEHRAN: Schools in Iran reopened to 15 million students on Saturday (Sep 5) after a seven-month closure despite concerns over increased spread of the COVID-19 in the country.
“This year, we shoulder a heavier burden of responsibility toward our students,” said President Hassan Rouhani, who oversaw the opening of schools in a video conference broadcast live on state television.
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READ: Iran's friends should have defied US sanctions during COVID-19 pandemic: President Rouhani
Education and health are equally important to society, he said, but added that parents would not be forced to send their children back to school.
Iranian media said that seminaries also reopened on Saturday to about 50,000 students.
Several medical professionals have voiced concerns over the reopening of schools and universities in Iran, one of the countries worst-hit by the coronavirus pandemic in the Middle East.
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Dr Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi, the government-appointed head of Iran's Medical Council, said in a letter to the education minister that the "surprise decision to reopen schools would no doubt lead to an increased burden" on the countrys medical workers.
READ: 1 person is dying of COVID-19 every 7 minutes in Iran: State TV
"When an epidemic hits, schools are the first places that should be closed and the last to be reopened,” Zafarghandi was quoted a saying by the semi-official ISNA news agency.
Irans death toll from the coronavirusRead More – Source
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