Coronavirus death toll expected to drop in coming weeks

Speaking on Thursday at the meeting of the heads of the committees of the National Task Force for Fighting Coronavirus, Dr Hassan Rouhani said, "After careful studies by experts and taking advantage of the opinions of all agencies about the manner and process of holding the entrance exam and mourning ceremony for Imam Hussein (AS), the matters have been reviewed first by the Security, Social and Medical Committees and then by the National Task Force for Fighting Coronavirus."

The President stressed that the guidelines for holding the exam and mourning ceremonies are also fully in line with the World Health Organisation's global standards.

Rouhani stated that all the necessary health protocols have been announced, especially for those who are responsible for holding the ceremonies, because observing the health protocols are people's right and the mourning ceremonies of Imam Hussein (AS) cannot be in a place where the rights of the people are not observed.

The President also called for monitoring the implementation of health protocols and stressed that regulatory bodies should fully monitor the implementation of the guidelines and, if necessary, deal with violators in order to protect public health.

The President said, "There is no doubt that with the cooperation of health departments and those responsible for holding the ceremonies can improve health standards."

In another part of his speech, he expressed his regret over the increase in the number of people infected with coronavirus and the death toll, saying, "The new wave of coronavirus depends on our own behaviour more than that of the virus."

"Negligence in care and the process of observing health protocols has played an important role in increasing the spread of this disease, which is expected to decrease within the next two weeks due to the increase in people's sensitivity and increasing care and observance of health protocols," said President.

Rouhani stated, "It is necessary to change our lifestyle in order to adapt to the current conditions of coronavirus and make the observance of health instructions a mandatory part of any life plan."

During the meeting, it was also decided to suspend Tehran's limited traffic zone scheme for one week.