Coronavirus: Khuzestan Province and Several Iranian Cities ‘Quarantined’

While the commander of Iran’s Islamic Republic police force has described reports about the possibility of quarantining cities as “psychological warfare by enemies,” Khuzestan Province and several other cities in Iran have been quarantined since Sunday, the 25th of Bahman.

FARS News Agency reported that two cities, Paveh and Javanrood, and the Oramanat region in Kurdistan Province have been quarantined. Rovansar bazaar has also been completely closed since Sunday.

Meanwhile, Parviz Eidepour, the governor of Paveh, said that all entrances to the city have been completely blocked.

Gholamreza Shariati, the governor of Khuzestan Province, also announced that any entry or exit of passenger vehicles to the province is prohibited.

He also announced the closure of all businesses except supermarkets, pharmacies, bakeries, butcher shops, and fruit vendors, and said that all passenger terminals, gathering places, and hypermarkets are closed.

Domestic media outlets have referred to this situation as “Khuzestan Quarantine,” but government officials typically avoid using this term.

Meanwhile, Hassan Rouhani, the President of the Islamic Republic, on Sunday emphasized that today and even during the Nowruz holidays “there is no such thing as quarantine,” and said that provinces do not have the authority to make this decision and that the only decision-making authority is the National Corona Headquarters in Tehran.

Hussein Ashteri, the commander of the police force, also said that the National Corona Response Headquarters has no plan to quarantine cities and that the police force does not have such action in its agenda.

He added: “These days, the psychological warfare headquarters of enemies, by suggesting quarantine, are seeking to provoke people to buy and hoard supplies and disrupt the distribution system of essential goods.”

One day before these statements, the Health Minister reported that Iran’s National Corona Response Headquarters has approved that in 11 provinces of Iran “traffic would be controlled” and new restrictions would be imposed on transportation. Details of these restrictions have not been announced.

Previously, a number of parliament members had requested that Mazandaran and Gilan provinces also be quarantined. However, only some cities in these two provinces have been quarantined.

The governor of Neka city in Mazandaran Province reported in this regard that the city has been quarantined on a trial basis.

Abdoljavad Tohidi-Moghadam said that vehicle traffic in the city is prohibited except for essential cases and the bazaar has been closed.

Akbar Samadi, the governor of Meshginshahr in Ardabil Province, also reported that the city was quarantined starting Sunday, and on this basis, entry of any non-local vehicles into the city is prohibited.

A number of cultural activists in Razavi Khorasan Province have also called for the quarantine of the province. Although the province has not been quarantined, some restrictions have been imposed on passenger entry in some of its cities.

Meanwhile, Hamed Ghorbani, the governor of Gonabad, said that some non-main roads and pathways to the city have been blocked by the city council and restrictions have been imposed at four main entrances to the city.

AliReza Ghamenti, the governor of Nishapur, also reported that secondary roads branching off from the main roads of Nishapur towards tourist and recreational areas are blocked until further notice, but the decision to impose restrictions on Nishapur’s main routes should be made at the national level.

MohammadReza Hashemi, the governor of Mashhad, regarding the non-quarantine of Razavi Khorasan Province, said: “No true and 100 percent quarantine has been implemented in any city.”

He said that restrictions and prohibitions have been created for Mashhad and unnecessary travel is being prevented at 14 points in the province.

On the other hand, in recent weeks, reports have been published about the possibility of Tehran being quarantined, which some officials have denied.

Beyond social media users, a number of Islamic Republic officials have also criticized the non-quarantine of Tehran or contradictory statements about it.

Mohsen Hashemi, the head of Tehran’s City Council, wrote on his Twitter page that even a clear definition has not been provided for quarantine and “officials should first define quarantine so people know.”

Simultaneously, Pirouz Hanachi, the mayor of Tehran, referring to “the difficult conditions of American sanctions,” said that the next stages of quarantine “such as providing supplies and compensating for damages” have no possibility of implementation.

One day earlier, Alireza Zali, the head of the Corona Disease Management Operations Command Headquarters in the Tehran metropolis, had said that quarantine consists of several stages or phases, some of which are being implemented.

Source: Radio Farda