TEHRAN — In a press conference on Wednesday, outgoing Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said Ashura rituals are banned in closed places.

Rahmani Fazli said in the meeting of the National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control, held on Wednesday to implement the order of President Ebrahim Raisi, the president was briefed about the current status of provinces in regard to the Coronavirus.

Reports were presented by the governors and heads of medical universities, as well as the performance of various departments during the last 18 months.

The interior minister said all of these issues will be discussed at Saturday's meeting of the headquarters.

Pointing out that the most important issue in controlling Covid-19 diseases is the maximum observance of health protocols, the interior minister said that in the meeting all officials and representatives of the different related bodies emphasized that health protocols should be observed seriously.

Iran made mask wearing mandatory in public in Tehran on October 10, 2020. It was decided to fine the violators.

"The proposal to increase the fines will be given to the National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control, and also the law enforcement forces and related agencies were notified to speed up the process of fining the violators,” Rahmani Fazli said. 

Referring to the lockdown proposal, the interior minister said that due to the raising of the issue in Tuesday’s meeting at the presence of the president, the preparations and conditions necessary for the lockdown to be effective were discussed.

The matter will be reviewed and decided in the next meeting of the headquarters, he added.

“While thanking all those who observe the protocols in full during Muharram mourning rituals, it should be noted that non-observance of health protocols, especially in closed places, makes the issue of disease control in the country difficult,” Rahmani Fazli stated.

The minister said, "According to the new conditions and the new proposal presented by the Ministry of Health in the meeting, it was approved not to hold mourning rituals indoors from Wednesday night, and it is definitely forbidden to hold walk-in mourning rituals in the streets and this issue was announced to the representative of the Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organization.”

The head of the coronavirus operations base stated that “we really desperately ask all organizers of the mourning rituals and mosques to observe the issues related to the health protocols and warnings issued by the National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control and the Ministry of Health.

Asking the people to observe the health protocols in full, the interior minister noted that some meetings are held inside houses.
“We ask that these issues (health protocols) be taken into account (in houses).”
 

SA/PA