Iran to restrict travel to stop coronavirus

Starting tomorrow, Iran will restrict travel and implement more restrictive measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

In a statement released by the Interior Ministry March 26, the police will enforce new social distancing measures, banning large gatherings and eliminating nonessential traffic from March 27 to April 3. Entry into a city will be restricted to residents only, as verified by national ID cards, license plates and car insurance. Schools and universities will remain closed, as will parks, gardens and other public spaces. All ceremonies, whether official or not, will be banned.

According to the statement, government offices will be divided into three different shifts to reduce the number of people at work, up to one-third of the regular staff. Guilds and other jobs will be divided into three groups: must remain open, must close and exempt from closure, due to local considerations.

Iran police chief Hossein Ashtari urged Iranians March 26 to return to their homes, as many Iranians had traveled to other provinces during the Nowruz holidays. “All travel to outside of the city will be banned,” Ashtari said, saying exceptions will be made for vehicles transporting food, medicine and medical supplies. Ashtari said that individuals traveling outside their home cities will be fined and have their cars impounded for a month.