Iran Extends Prisoner Furlough and School Closures
Iran Extends Prisoner Furlough and School Closures
(Bloomberg) --
Iran will extend a furlough for thousands of prisoners for a month and keep schools and places of worship closed until May 4 to contain the coronavirus and keep its economy afloat.
Iran, site of the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East with more than 5,000 deaths and more than 80,000 infections, started easing restrictions on some businesses on April 11. Two-thirds of government employees have also been allowed to return to work.
Social distancing measures will continue to be enforced and most businesses will remain closed for at least the next two weeks, President Hassan Rouhani said in a meeting with the country’s anti-coronavirus task-force shown on state TV. Shopping malls will reopen from Monday but will have to close by 6 p.m., he added.
Last month the judiciary furloughed thousands of prisoners with short sentences or non-violent convictions to avoid the virus from spreading throughout correctional facilities.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has advised Iranians to observe social distancing measures during the Muslim Ramadan fasting month beginning this week and to cancel mass gatherings. On Saturday he issued an Islamic edict, or fatwa, allowing Muslims to abstain from fasting if they have concerns over their health as a result of of the virus.
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