Gilan Quarantined; Travel Restrictions Announced to Several Other Provinces, Except Qom

Following the spread of coronavirus in Iran, some provinces have announced travel restrictions, and Gilan province has been quarantined.

About two weeks after the first cases of coronavirus were identified in Gilan province, the head of Gilan’s traffic police said on Friday, March 6, that to combat and prevent further spread of the coronavirus, vehicle entry—except for carriers of fuel, perishable, food, and relief supplies—has been banned at the province’s entrances.

The governor of Gilan also said Thursday night that screening at Gilan’s entrances and exits will be intensified, adding that the few individuals who must enter the province will be quarantined for two weeks if they show even minor suspicious symptoms.

Gilan is one of the main centers of coronavirus infection in the country.

Meanwhile, several other provinces have announced travel restrictions ahead of the New Year holidays.

Mazandaran province decided on Friday to implement tourist quarantine based on the decision of the province’s coronavirus control committee and prevented non-local vehicles from entering, causing a large number of travelers to be stranded at the province’s entrances.

Khorasan Razavi, Hormozgan, and Hamadan provinces also announced that they will refrain from accepting travelers. However, Qom province, which has been the epicenter of the coronavirus crisis, has only issued recommendations to reduce travel.

Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, said on Friday, February 28, at a meeting of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, that given the history of cover-ups by Islamic Republic officials, the Iranian regime is unwilling to provide information about the spread of coronavirus, and “I am concerned that they may have hidden important information.”

This is the second time the U.S. Secretary of State has expressed concern about a possible cover-up by Iranian officials. Mike Pompeo had previously warned that the United States is concerned about cover-ups by Islamic Republic officials regarding the spread of coronavirus.

Source: Voice of America