Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has banned travel to cities with high numbers of coronavirus cases during the Nowruz holiday that starts on March 21, according to the official IRNA News Agency.
The announcement came after the conclusion of the National Committee on Combatting Coronavirus meeting chaired by Rouhani in the capital, Tehran.
#Iran Starts Intercity Travel Ban Amid Fears of Second Wave of #Coronavirus
— Kayhan Life (@KayhanLife) March 26, 2020
Officials have complained that many Iranians ignored appeals to stay at home and cancel travel plans for the #PersianNewYear holidays that began on March 20.#Nowruz https://t.co/arlph2qzD0
Iran’s Health Ministry has classified districts based on the rate of coronavirus infections with red color indicating high risk, orange meaning medium, while yellow implied low risk and blue being the least.
Data by the Health Ministry shows 11 districts identified as red, 32 as orange, while 251 and 154 were marked as yellow and blue, respectively.
Trump sends holiday greetings to Iranians, does not mention travel ban: Nowruz is Iran's most important national… https://t.co/3zx7XW9jME pic.twitter.com/FulWloEQR8
— Cricket Updates (@_PakCricket_) March 23, 2017
The most dangerous areas are concentrated in the southwest of the country, particularly in Khuzestan Province.
Iranian officials are concerned that travels during the Nowruz festival could spark a new wave in the spread of the virus.
Nowruz is an ancestral festivity, which marks the first day of spring and the renewal of nature. Nowruz was inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Culture Heritage of Humanity in 2009 by UNESCO.
The celebration has its roots in ancient Iran. Various myths exists for Nowruz in Iranian mythology.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
