TEHRAN – A total of 564,348 passengers have so far been screened for coronavirus at the country's official borders since March 10, Mehdi Valipour, head of Relief and Rescue Organization affiliated to the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), said on Saturday.

During the aforesaid period, 62,641 passengers with symptoms underwent PCR tests and 80,310 underwent rapid tests, he added, IRNA reported.

He went on to lament that 120 individuals, who tested positive, have so far been temporarily quarantined.

Some 471 members of the IRCS cooperate for carrying out the plan in 16 provinces across the country, Valipour concluded.

With the cooperation of ministries of health and transport, a plan is being implemented with the goal of rapidly identifying and testing incoming passengers and keeping them in quarantine facilities, if necessary.

Thirty border checkpoints have been selected, including 18 land borders, nine air borders, and three sea borders, all incoming passengers will be tested and referred to the quarantine facilities in case of necessity.

Around 8,000 individuals enter the country via borders on a daily basis.

All travelers to Iran must have a negative PCR test certificate or a health card during the Covid-19 pandemic, IRINN reported on August 22.

Due to the prevalence of delta variant, negative PCR test is also mandatory for vaccinated passengers, Mohammad Reza Seif, head of safety and quality assurance department of Imam Khomeini Airport Town Co, said.

All passengers entering Iran, even if they have been vaccinated and have a vaccination card, must have a negative test result, he stated.

MG