Covid-19 and Traveling to Iran | IranAmaze

Complete version of This Article : Covid-19 and Travelling to Iran

After a year living — or better to say coexisting — with coronavirus, now the whole society, even the little children, know how to deal with it. Masks and sanitizers have become essential things in our bags and pockets. People try to keep social distance in their everyday life. Many people avoid traveling. And, for many people, working at home has become an alternative for physical attending at work. All these were the same as the rest of the world. But, maybe the worst part for Iranians was quitting parties and gatherings.

We used to pay a visit to our family members and relatives very often. So, staying home in this condition was a social sacrifice rather than social distance. Yep! By all these, we tried to keep it safe in Iran. We adapted our life, work, education, and hobbies, including traveling with this like-never-before situation.

Covid-19 Latest Updates in Iran

• January 2021:

about two months after the overall quarantine, the number of red cities decreased. On January 9th, the Tehran governor announced this city is yellow. Also, we reached the point that there are blue regions in which people can have an ordinary life, in case they observe the health protocols. On January 23rd, the health ministry declared there is no red region in Iran, and the decreasing rate of new cases is going on. But so far, limitations like night lockdown or traveling forbiddance to the remaining orange regions will continue until mid-March, the beginning of the new year in Iran.

• December 21st, 2020:

due to the new strain of Covid-19 in England, all the flights between Iran and England were canceled for two weeks.

• November 2020:

after about a year of dealing with the Covid-19, finally Iran had to undergo an overall quarantine. The authorities declared an official and strict quarantine from November 21st. Based on each city’s population and the new cases rate, they categorized the cities into red, orange, and yellow regions. In these regions, any commutation was forbidden from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. Traveling from or to other cities were banned except by the public transportation system. Workplaces have to be closed by 9 p.m., and offices must work with a lesser number of employees.

• September 2020:

despite all the taken strategies, the coronavirus was still devouring many victims. Most of the cities were in a critical situation. Educational centers were held online in the new academic year. Shops and malls had to close by the evening. And, public transportation system closed its service sooner than usual.

• July 2020:

the death rates were high again. Using masks in public places became mandatory. Those without masks would face a fine.

• June 2020:

After about two months of social distancing, observing the new rules, staying at home, etc., which resulted in a decrease in statistics, people let their guard down against this threat. So, the second soar of Covid-19 started.

• May 2020:

new cases and death rates decreased dramatically. In 25% of provinces, Covid-19 new cases were lass than 10. The educational centers were still closed. But, in case of observing the health protocols, mosques could be open.

• March 13th, 2020:

a week before Iranian Nowruz, the government developed new limitations over traveling between cities. This new year was the most different one. Instead of traveling and/or visiting their relatives, many people had to stay at home. That was when we got familiar with the term “social distancing”.

• February 22nd, 2020:

schools, universities, mosques, and many other crowded places were closed. Also, the office’s work hours decreased. Shops, markets, and restaurants started to update their health protocols. All the flights to or from Iran were canceled.

• February 20th, 2020:

the health ministry of Iran officially declared the first death cases due to coronavirus.

the government allows people to go out of their houses but obligates them to keep hygiene standards.

Can I Travel to Iran During Pandemic?

We should follow the WHO and Iran ministry of health advice. Right now, in January 2021, Iran does not issue a tourist visa for travelers. By the way, there are some exceptional cases in which you can apply for a visa. You may either be a medical tourist or planning to travel to Iran for business purposes. All the visitors (Iranian and non-Iranian) need to take the Covid-19 test before their travel to Iran. The Covid test must be taken no later than 96 hours before your trip. Also, this rule applies to visitors over two years old holding any visa. So, all travelers must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test result certificate to enter Iran.

Originally published at https://iranamaze.com on September 21, 2020.