Iran imposes mask mandate in Tehran as COVID-19 resurges
Yusef Jalali
Press TV, Tehran
Wearing masks is now mandatory in Tehran. Those who don't wear masks will be fined.
The draconian measure was taken by the government after the coronavirus once again resurged stronger than ever across the country. The mask mandate went into effect on Saturday and will be in place until further notice.
The new mask mandate is called from home to home, which requires people to have their masks on as long as they are outdoors. The health ministry did not go into the details of the fine, but it said, "the punishment will be severe".
For the fifth consecutive day now, the single-day COVID cases in Iran have been hovering above 4,000, the highest since the virus broke out. Iranian health officials blame the resurgence of the virus on people's indifference toward health protocols.
We set up our camera for 15 minutes on one of the busiest streets of Tehran to measure the extent of people's apathy toward mask wearing. Well, images easily show that a frightening number of individuals still have not grasped the gravity of the crisis.
Reports show that public observance of preventive measures in Iran has dropped by 60 percent compared to the early days of the pandemic. Those who do care say inconsiderate individuals are blowing up others' efforts to fight the virus.
The mask mandate is for now limited to the capital. The government says Tehran dwellers have the lowest rate of healthcare observance in the country, with only 50 percent of the population taking care of health protocols.
Last week, the government once again imposed weeklong restrictions in Tehran and seven other high risk provinces. The restrictions ended on Saturday and were extended again for another week. Movie theaters, libraries, museums, barber shops and restaurants are not allowed to reopen and any mass gathering is for now prohibited.
While it's still too soon to pin hope on a treatment or vaccine for COVID, the health ministry says mask is still the only weapon against the virus. On the condition that everyone is armed with that weapon.
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