Rouhani Unveils Smart Reopening Plan in Iran

In a meeting with the Coronavirus Fight National Headquarters officials on Thursday, President Hassan Rouhani said the initiative to categorize various regions of the country as white, yellow and red zones according to the level of the threat posed by COVID-19 will help the country move from the smart social distancing stage to smart reopening.

“In every city that people observe the smart distancing (rules) better, better conditions could be announced for smart reopening of the centers and activities,” the president explained.

He also noted that directors of the specialized committees of the Coronavirus Fight National Headquarters are going to make a list of the white regions according to the criteria they have defined, saying the conditions for the reopening of businesses and religious sites and relaxing restrictions will be made public.

A report by the Health Ministry shows that people in cities categorized as yellow or almost white zones have observed more than 80 percent of the health protocols, the president said.

According to Rouhani, the number of people being admitted to the hospital due to COVID-19 infection has decreased in light of enhancement of diagnostic tests, timely detection of the suspicious cases under a nationwide screening scheme, quarantining the positive cases, and the people’s compliance with the health protocols.

Iran’s Health Ministry said on Thursday that the number of coronavirus patients recovering and being released from the hospital in the country has exceeded 75,100 and the number of deaths from COVID-19 is on decline.