On Sunday, the health minister said Iran had made it mandatory for people in other major cities to wear the mask after imposing it in Tehran to prevent the spread of nuclear diseases.
On Saturday, the capital was forced’ to
wear the mask in public, and President Hassan Rouhani announced that violators
would be fined’ as the country faces a third wave of coronavirus infections.
"We have asked the police and the
Basij (paramilitary forces) and other agencies to help us ... to crack down on
violations" said Health Minister Saeed Namaki.
"It has been decided that the operation will start in Tehran and will be extended to other major cities in
the coming weeks," Namaki said in remarks on state television.
Meanwhile, Iranian media reported that Ali
Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, had a positive
test for COVID-19, but that "his general condition is better and he is
constantly monitoring the organization's affairs." "
On Saturday, Muhammad Baqer Nobakht, vice
president in charge of economic planning, said he had tested positive for the
coronavirus.
Earlier, two other vice presidents were
infected and at least two senior officials died of COVID-19.
The death toll from COVID-19 rose to 239
this week in Iran, the Middle East's hardest-hit country.
Masks have been mandatory in indoor public
places since July.
In Tehran, schools, mosques, shops,
restaurants, and other government institutions were closed’ for a week on
October 3 to prevent the spread of the virus. The city governor extended the
closure for another week on Friday.
On Thursday, the United States imposed
fresh sanctions on Iran's financial sector. Tehran has accused it of violating
its ability to meet basic needs during an epidemic.
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