Virus-hit Iran shuts non-essential business in much of the country

Virus-hit Iran shuts non-essential business in much of the country

TEHRAN “” Iran announced on Saturday it had shut non-essential businesses in over half its cities and towns for up to two weeks and introduced movement restrictions to rein in its novel coronavirus outbreak.

The Islamic republic has avoided imposing a full lockdown since it was hit by Covid-19 in February, with President Hassan Rouhani arguing the country's sanctions-battered economy cannot afford to be shut down for an extended period.

Iran's coronavirus task force announced on Saturday that only essential services “” including health centres and pharmacies, food shops and public transport “” will be allowed to open in the country's areas of highest risk, for up to two weeks.

These include more than half of the country's cities and towns, according to the task force, with Tehran and all other provincial capitals affected by the measures.

Private vehicles are also prohibited from leaving the worst-hit areas until further notice, and are banned from circulating between 9:00 pm and 4:00 am in Tehran and other large cities.

The task force said more than 53 million of Iran's over 80-million-strong population would be affected by the measures.

President Hassan Rouhani warned that the Islamic republic was facing its "third wave“ of infections, and said the new restrictions