Tehran (IP) - in a speech after the cabinet meeting, Government spokesman Ali Rabiei announced the widespread closure of 150 cities in the red zone.

Iran PressIran News: Rabiee said: "In the last meeting of the National Task Force for combating Coronavirus, it was approved that about 150 cities and metropolises located in the red zone go to lockdown." He added: "This means that some will lose their jobs and economic and livelihood problems and pressures will be created. The problem was raised and discussed by the President today at the meeting of the government's economic coordination headquarters."The spokesman said: "By the end of the week, the Ministry of Welfare will identify the people who will be affected by these closures, and the Plan and Budget Organization (PBO) will help them."

The government spokesman added: "All these decisions are to make social distance effective. Now the historical responsibility of Iranians must be shown to the world again at this juncture."

The Spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health, Sima Sadat Lari, announced in her presser on Tuesday that in the past 24 hours, 482 COVID-19 patients had lost their lives, bringing the total death toll to 42,461, and 5,691 COVID-19 patients are in critical condition.

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