Financial Tribune: Iran’s coronavirus taskforce is returning lockdown restrictions to the capital starting Saturday to curb the relentless spread of the infectious disease, as fresh cases and deaths continue to climb. Mohsen Farhadi, a senior official in the Health Ministry, told ISNA on Friday that earlier quarantine measures concerning the city of Tehran will come into force on July 18 for one week. The restrictions include the closure of coffee shops and recreational centers and a ban on religious, cultural and social gatherings as well as sport activities involving more than one person. Farhadi noted that the measures will be in place for one week and if the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths drop, they will not be extended.
“One-third of government employees in Tehran will be permitted to begin remote working from the start of the week,” he said. According to Farhadi, the same restrictions were also reimposed in many other cities with high virus transmission rates, as part of a targeted lockdown plan.