Iran begins opening businesses, religious sites for Eid al-Fitr

Iran on Saturday moved to open businesses, religious
and cultural sites as it eases restrictions imposed to contain the coronavirus
pandemic.
Museums and historical sites are to reopen on Sunday
to coincide with the Eid al-Fitr elebrations that end the Muslim holy fasting
month of Ramadan, President Hassan Rouhani said on state television.
Holy shrines - some of which became focal points of
the coronavirus epidemic in Iran - will reopen Monday.
Rouhani announces opening
Rouhani had said last week that the shrines would
open for three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon. Some
areas of the shrines such as narrow corridors will stay shut.
All workers in the country will return to work next
Saturday.
“We can say we have passed the three stages
regarding the coronavirus,” Rouhani said.
The fourth phase is containment in 10 of Iran’s 31
provinces, where the situation is better and screening will intensify while
infected patients will be separated from the rest of the population.
The president said last week that restaurants would
reopen after Ramadan and sports activities would resume without spectators.
Universities, but not medical schools, will reopen on June 6.
Rouhani said on Saturday that 88 percent of the
fatalities from COVID-19 in Iran were victims with underlying illnesses.
According to health ministry figures, more than
7,000 have so far died from the pandemic in Iran and more than 130,000 have
been infected.