Iran has extended the period of temporary release for over 85,000 people from prisons until April 20, as authorities seek to avoid the coronavirus from taking hold inside prisons, President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday
TEHRAN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th March, 2020) Iran has extended the period of temporary release for over 85,000 people from prisons until April 20, as authorities seek to avoid the coronavirus from taking hold inside prisons, President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday.
Iran released the prisoners earlier this month to avert mass outbreaks of COVID-19 inside jails and was expected to return them on April 3.
"It was decided to extend his release [of prisoners] until the end of the month Farvardin [which ends on April 19]," Rouhani said in a televised address.
Speaking at a meeting of the coronavirus response team, Rouhani also noted that the number of hospital admissions and virus-related deaths in the country had been on a decline.
Iran is one of the worst-hit countries outside China. As of Tuesday, Iran counts over 23,000 cases of infection with more than 1,800 deaths and over 8,300 recoveries.
