Iran eyes reopening mosques in coronavirus-free regions

26 Apr, 2020 18:05

Tehran will allow religious sites to reopen in certain areas – the so-called ‘white zones’ – across the country that have been consistently coronavirus-free, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Sunday. The country has been divided into red, yellow and white zones, corresponding with the magnitude of the outbreak, the president explained.

Religious sites were closed across Iran after the country was hit with a major Covid-19 outbreak. Public gatherings have been banned while movement of people across the country has been restricted.

Iran is among the worst coronavirus-affected nations. It has over 90,000 confirmed cases of the dreaded disease, including more than 5,700 deaths, latest figures by the Johns Hopkins University indicate.