ranian President Hassan Rouhani has introduced fines for violators as the country has made it mandatory to wear face masks in the capital Tehran in an attempt to contain the resurgence of the coronavirus.

Speaking during a meeting of the national task force for fighting the coronavirus on Saturday, Rouhani said Tehran residents would be fined 500,000 riyals ($1.66) for not wearing face coverings and would be given two weeks to pay the amount.

A person, who is infected with the coronavirus, is also obliged to inform his family and workplace and quarantine himself for two weeks, because otherwise he would be fined 2,000,000 riyals ($6.67), he added.

If taxi drivers do not use masks, they risk a�fine�of 1,000,000 riyals ($3.33), Rouhnai noted.

He further said that if taxi drivers pick up passengers without face coverings, they will be fined 200,000 ($0.66) for each passenger.

The businesses that do not abide by the compulsory face mask rule would first be handed a notice, and if they continue the violation, they will be fined 3,000,000 riyals ($10) and later 10,000,000 ($33.4) or closed finally, he added.

The president also stressed that the new measures will only be enforced in Tehran and may be extend to other provinces if necessary.

Iran has been contending with the deadliest pandemic the world has seen in many decades�amid illegal US sanctions, which have seriously hampered efforts to stem the outbreak.

So far, more than 492,370 Iranians have been infected with COVID-19 in Iran. Almost 28,100 people have died, while 401,379 have recovered.

 

Source: Press TV