(Bloomberg) --
Iran is quarantining part of the oil-rich southwest of the country for the next week, with all main routes into the area closed, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
All banks, offices and businesses in Abadan county, which is home to the Middle East's oldest oil refinery and the traditional heart of Iran's energy industry, will be shut, Tasnim said, citing the public affairs office of the county governor.
Iran reported an increase in the daily number of new Covid-19 cases earlier this week. That came a month after officials decided to loosen some restrictions on businesses and public activity. The Islamic Republic has so far reported more than 107,000 cases and some 6,640 deaths, according to the latest official figures.
Iran's Coronavirus Cases Creep Up After Officials Ease Lockdown
Abadan sits on the Arvand river which demarcates Iran's border with Iraq. Official figures for the number of cases in the area aren't available. The Health Ministry stopped giving provincial breakdowns more than a month ago in order to prevent people from traveling into areas where the virus is less prevalent.
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(722x523:724x525):format(webp)/Savannah-Guthrie-mother-Nancy-Guthrie-020226-02-0368cb6ddb864bf09919fd100fe546b0.jpg?im=FeatureCrop,algorithm)
