Iranian President Hassan Rohani says a state of emergency imposed in the country because of the coronavirus pandemic will remain in place at least until the end of January 2021.
"We have been in this situation for six months and we must prepare ourselves for another six months at least," Rohani said in a statement published on his website on August 9.
Rohani said any complete easing of public health restrictions is not planned for now.
"We must find a middle way between normality and sticking to the virus restrictions," he said.
Iran has been easing its coronavirus restrictions during the past two months, leading many Iranians to pay less attention to the pandemic and public health regulations.
It has also led to criticism of Rohani, as there has been a recent surge in case numbers -- with some 200 deaths a day.
All together, Iran has reported a death toll of more than 18,000 and more than 320,000 infections.
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