Iranian schools, universities to remain closed until March 20

The Iranian health minister on Thursday said all schools, universities and educational institutions will remain closed until March 20 as the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to 3,513 in the country, Iranian state TV reported.

A total of 300,000 teams have been set up in Iran to investigate the outbreak. Each department will screen people at the entrance to each city and quarantine suspected cases for 14 days. The government has also announced compensating the tourism industry.

Moreover, the government will employ electronic means of communication to avoid gatherings. All these measures will be taken through the Ministry of Health in cooperation with a number of non-governmental organizations.