Thursday , 28 March 2024

Under Public Pressure Iran Closing All Schools For A Week To Fight Coronavirus

Radiofarda – Under heavy pressure from teachers and parents, a media adviser to the Islamic Republic Health Minister said in a tweet on Wednesday, February 26, all schools across Iran would be closed for a week.

“As the head of Iran’s counter-coronavirus task force, the Health Minister, Saeed Namaki, has announced the closure of all schools and educational centers across the country,” Alireza Vahabzadeh said, adding, “The counter-coronavirus task force has passed a resolution for closing down all educational centers in Iran. However, the resolution needs the endorsement of the President of the Islamic Republic Hassan Rouhani.”

Meanwhile, parents in Iran have already decided to keep away their children from educational centers, practically closing schools and kindergartens.

Parents and teachers have long been insisting that all educational entities should be closed until the end of the next Iranian new year (beginning March 21) holidays that traditionally ends on April 3.

The Health Minister, Saeed Namaki, has announced that universities would also be closed for a week, provided they carry on their services online.

Based on the latest official data, at least 19 Iranians have fallen victim to the outbreak of Covid-19, and more than 139 are officially diagnosed with the virus. However, many people believe the real numbers are much higher,

Nevertheless, President Rouhani reiterated on Wednesday, February 26, that coronavirus should not become an “enemy weapon” that prevents business in Iran.

“Corona should not be turned into a weapon of our enemies for shutting down work and production in the country,” Rouhani reiterated.

Speaking to his cabinet on Wednesday, Rouhani also asserted, “We should not allow America to add a new virus, named disruption of social activities and immense fear, on top of coronavirus. This is a conspiracy that we are witnessing, and you also can see it in foreign propaganda.”

He vehemently insisted that no city or district in Iran would be quarantined.

However, the swift outbreak of the virus in Iran has raised grave concerns among virologists and infectious disease experts that Covid-19 is spreading too quickly and maybe past the point of containment.

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