All mosques in Iran will reopen on Tuesday as the government takes another step towards easing restrictions designed to contain the coronavirus, the official IRIB news agency reported.
The decision to reopen the mosques was made in consultation with the ministry of health, Mohammad Qomi, the director of the Islamic Development Organisation, said.
The move comes even though some parts of the country have seen a rise in infections.
Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday that a county in southwestern Iran had been placed under lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus.
Gholamreza Shariati told Tasnim that people had not been observing social distancing rules. "Because of this the number of corona patients in the province has tripled and the hospitalisation of patients has risen by 60 per cent," the governor said.
Last Friday, prayer gatherings resumed in up to 180 Iranian cities and towns seen as being at low risk of coronavirus contagion after a two-month suspension, state media reported.
The resumption of Friday prayers — still banned in the capital Tehran and some other major cities — followed the reopening last Monday of 132 mosques in areas consistently free of the virus.
Schools will reopen next week, President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday, according to the official presidency website.
Iran has already lifted a ban on inter-city trips and malls, with large shopping centres resuming activities.
The total number of Iran's coronavirus deaths rose by 45 in the past 24 hours to 6,685, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said in a statement on state TV. The total number of diagnosed cases in the country has reached 109,286.
Iran, one of the countries in the Middle East hit hardest by the novel coronavirus, has begun easing restrictions on normal life in order to keep afloat its economy, already battered by US sanctions. Health officials have repeatedly warned, however, that easing restrictions could lead to a renewed spike in the number of infections.
Mr Rouhani announced the replacement of the minister of industry, mines and trade on Monday, according to the official presidency website, a decision that appeared to be an attempt to boost the economy.
Hossein Modares Khiabani will replace Reza Rahmani as the caretaker head of the ministry, the announcement said without noting why Mr Rahmani was dismissed.
Mr Rouhani called on Khiabani to stabilise car prices, eliminate obstacles for domestic production and expand non-oil exports.
