Iran President, Hassan Rouhani, has insisted that despite the hike in the cases of coronavirus, businesses will not shut down in the country.
While disclosing this on Saturday July 11, 2020, Rouhani stated that he could not afford to shut down the economy as the Middle East deadliest coronavirus outbreak worsens.
Rouhani noted that Iran would adopt gradual and partial easing of restrictions. He added that the country’s economic closure is impossible.
“Iran needs to continue economic, social and cultural activities while observing health protocols,” he said on Saturday during a televised virus taskforce meeting.
“The simplest solution is to close down all activities. The next day, people would come out to protest the chaos, hunger, hardship and pressure,” he added.
The Islamic Republic battles a host of challenges: coronavirus pandemic, endemic corruption and crippling US sanctions. These challenges have weakened the economy and drained the country of its oil revenues.
Iran has been struggling since late February to contain the coronavirus spread, which has killed over 12,400 people and infected more than 252,000.
The country with nearly 85 million population closed schools, cancelled public events and banned movements between its 31 provinces in March, 2020.
One a single day record, it had 221 deaths on Thursday 9 July, 2020. So far, Iran has recorded 255,117 cases and 12,635 deaths from the pandemic.
