COVID-stricken Iran to ban local travel ahead of Eid al-Fitr

Eid al-Fitr holidays could spark more infections as many may ignore travel bans in absence of hefty penalties.

Tehran, Iran – As Iranian authorities hope the country could soon overcome a fourth major wave of COVID-19 infections, local travel has been banned during days leading to religious holidays to mark the end of Ramadan. Eid al-Fitr, which is celebrated by Muslims worldwide, will be marked by Iranians on Wednesday and Thursday, and Friday is a weekend in the country. Millions usually travel during the long holidays. According to the health ministry, 283 more Iranians died over the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 74,524. Another 13,576 cases were also registered for a total of more than 2.64 million infections.