Hawzah News Agency - (Tehran - Iran) - Appreciating people who observed health protocols and smart social distancing during Laylat al-Qadr ceremonies, Iran’s President praised the efforts of the organizers of the ceremony, including sermons, Basij of mosques and all executives, saying, "Today, we are in a situation where we should not allow anxiety and despair prevail in the society. At the same time, people should not feel that everything is over and we have overcome the danger”.
Speaking on Saturday at the session of the National Task Force for Fighting Coronavirus, Dr. Hassan Rouhani said that some are trying to promote frustration, anxiety and apprehension in the society to make people feel that they are in a difficult situation, adding, "This condition can have serious psychological consequences. Medical, social and economic officials need to make it clear to the public that the virus is not over yet, but that conditions have improved”.
The President said that at the beginning of the disease in Iran since three months ago, there was high concern and anxiety about the unknown nature of the virus and the uncertainty of its effects and characteristics, adding, "Fortunately, our health staff and nurses’ skills about this unknown virus have become more”.
Dr. Rouhani said that the treatment equipment for this disease is much better than the first day of the outbreak of the virus, and that we have gone through a difficult process in producing requirements such as N95 masks and ventilators, adding, "People should know that in the future, our status in the fight against the virus will be better, even if we see a new peak”.
“Today, our conditions are better than the first day, but at the same time, we still have to be careful not to think that everything is over. Holding gatherings and not observing health principles and smart social distancing will increase the number of patients and create problems for us,” he said.
Dr. Rouhani emphasized that we must have a middle ground in fighting coronavirus so that we neither create anxiety and apprehension, nor are indifferent, saying, "Fortunately, mosques have been reopened in the white cities, Friday prayers are being held, and economic and business activities have resumed”.
The President continued, "The foreign media wanted to shut down the country under the pretext of coronavirus, but we did not shut down production in the country for a day, and focused on basic goods and the essential needs of the people”.
Dr. Rouhani said that in the current situation, personal hygiene is an important and basic principle that must be observed, adding, "Social distancing must still be on the agenda. We must forget some past habits for a while and adapt our lives to coronavirus”.
Emphasizing the need to separate the person infected with coronavirus from the society and the need for quarantine, the President said, "After being identified, the infected person must be separated from the society immediately, and in this regard, the task force approved a resolution for informing their family and colleagues that unfortunately was not implemented thoroughly”.
Dr. Rouhani emphasized, "The instructions in this regard must be communicated clearly and decisively to all medical centres and doctors, and sufficient training should be given to the people. Quarantining infected people is an important principle; otherwise all efforts will be wasted”.
Stating that victory and success against the disease is the first condition for public trust, the president said, "The work is done by the people; The people must also trust the government, the system, the experts and the relevant authorities and the media; We also need transparency and honesty to gain trust”.
Dr. Rouhani emphasized that the more the general cooperation between the organs, the more the people's trust will be gained, stressing, "Coordination among organs give people trust, while the voice of the people, their opinions and criticisms must be heard well”.
"Declaring a white status in a city does not mean the end of the disease," the president said, stressing that we need to prepare people for at least a few months to live with coronavirus.
Dr. Rouhani continued his speech by stating that we should consider support packages for people who have problems in the society and are not in a good situation, and said, "The government has considered support and assistance for these groups as much as it can, but it is not able to do it alone”.
The President also referred to the actions taken by knowledge-based companies in the field of fighting coronavirus and said, "Knowledge-based companies have a very heavy burden and have done great things and used all their power to meet the needs”.
Dr. Rouhani also pointed out the importance of production and export in the country and said, "In the country, we need to produce goods, export them and the currency resulting from exports, and we all need to fulfil the slogan of Surge in Production put forward by the Supreme Leader for this year”.
The President emphasized, "If we rely solely on the oil barrel, we will have problems, but we rely on patriotic exporters, we will be able to solve the problems".
Explaining the approvals of today's meeting of the National Task Force for Fighting Coronavirus, Dr. Rouhani said, "Today we had a promising report that showed that the deaths of the elderly due to coronavirus in Iran have been very low compared to many other countries".
The President added, "99% of the elderly in the whole country are kept in homes, and this is one of our prominent cultural and religious characteristics, and only 1% of the elderly are kept in nursing homes".
Dr. Rouhani emphasized, "According to today's resolution, the Quds Day ceremony in white cities, which was announced today as 218 cities, will be held in Friday prayers, observing all health protocols, not as the form of procession, but as a gathering".
The President added, "In the case of Tehran, due to the special conditions of the capital, it was decided that with the responsibility of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, from one origin to the end, we would have a symbolic ceremony in the form of moving cars without gathering people".
Dr. Rouhani added, "Regarding Eid al-Fitr prayers, it was decided to hold Eid al-Fitr prayers in mosques and open spaces throughout the country in accordance with health instructions, but we will not have Eid al-Fitr prayers in large prayer halls".
The President added, "Regarding the reopening of holy places and shrines, it was decided that after the holy month of Ramadan, the courtyards of these places will be open to pilgrims for 3 hours in the morning and 3 in the afternoon with full observance of health instructions".
Dr. Rouhani added, "According to the resolution of the National Task Force for Fighting Coronavirus, restaurants will reopen after the holy month of Ramadan, and hotels will be more active".
“The national university entrance exam will be held on time and will be held in accordance with health protocols put forward by the Ministry of Health,” said Rouhani.
He continued, "Universities will restart their activities since June 6, and sports activities will resume within the framework of health protocols without the presence of spectators. The release of prisoners whose release do not pose a threat to society was also extended until June 20”.