TEHRAN, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian Health Ministry on Tuesday declared the end to the public health emergency status for COVID-19 in the country.
In a statement published on its website, the ministry said face mask wearing is no longer mandatory for the public.
Face mask wearing would also be waived for healthcare staff whose working place has no report of cluster transmission, the statement added.
It meanwhile advised the elderly, people with underlying medical conditions, and those who have been in direct contact with COVID-19 patients to keep wearing masks.
Iran reported its first cases of the coronavirus infection in late February 2019. Over 146,000 people have so far died of the disease in the country. ■
