Speaking in a meeting of the Coronavirus Combat and Prevention Headquarters on Sunday, which was being aired online by state TV, President Rouhani said that there will be no limitation for travels across provinces as of Saturday. He also said that low-risk businesses can resume activities across the country from Saturday provided that they fill in a form on a website designed by the Health Ministry.

Rouhani said that experts are working on the activity of high-risk businesses and the result will be announced to the nation in the coming days.

Iran has already eased some of the restrictions from yesterday as two-third of employees of government offices are going to their workplace.

Rouhani advised people on Sunday to use their personal cars instead of public transportation in big cities for their commutes, noting that the government is planning to buy buses to boost the public transport capacity in a bid to implement a better social distancing.

Pointing to the holy month of Ramadan, Rouhani said that if the conditions do not change, no ceremony will be held in mosques and people can use social media and state TV for observing the rituals.

Elsewhere, he said that Iran’s Foreign Ministry and Central Bank have recently managed to free $1.6 billion of the country’s assets that was blocked by a US order in Luxemburg.

Iran has confirmed 70,029 cases of the coronavirus infection since the outbreak was reported in the country in late February. More than 41,947 people have recovered and 4,357 died of the virus, according to the latest updates provided by the Health Ministry on Saturday.

The figures come as Iran has been under draconian US sanctions — particularly on the import of medical equipment — amid the country’s fight against the coronavirus, which continues to take its toll across the world.

The Iranian government has said it would exhaust all its resources to ensure there would be sufficient protective gear and vital equipment to respond to the coronavirus outbreak in the country.