TEHRAN, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Iranian authorities will launch a "smart distancing" plan to continue fights against COVID-19, President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday.
The distancing plan which was launched last month has attained "good achievements," Rouhani said in a meeting of the National Headquarters to Fight the Coronavirus, state TV reported.
The next phase of social distancing plan is "smart distancing" as specifications of which will be laid out, he was quoted as saying.
On March 27, Iran announced the implementation of a one-week social distancing plan requiring all schools, universities, shopping malls, parks, sports complexes, swimming pools and entertainment facilities to be closed for the period, with the aim of stopping gatherings and avoiding unnecessary movements. The plan was later extended until April 8.
On Saturday, Rouhani said that "various protocols have to be meticulously designed for different occupations ... after becoming certain that the management of the coronavirus has reached a stable state."
"Medical protocols have to be designed in a way that the public can be largely assured of its health and safety by adhering to them outside the house and at work," he added.
Iran's health ministry on Saturday announced 55,743 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country and 3,452 deaths.
