Russia, as humanitarian aid in the context of the spread of coronavirus, delivered three batches of fabric to Iran for the manufacture of medical masks, Andrei Ganenko, press attaché of the Russian Embassy in Tehran, said.
“Cargo is a fabric for the manufacture of medical masks. Three flights are on May 7, 14 and 15. Each one has up to 3.5 tons of cargo”, – he said.
Earlier, Russia supplied Iran with humanitarian aid the test systems necessary for the diagnosis of coronavirus.
Also, Russia’s trade representative in Iran, Rustam Zhiganshin, told the reporters that Moscow was ready to consider the possibility of importing masks and disinfectants from Iran as Tehran lifted its export ban.
Hamid Zadbum, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Iran, spoke about the restrictions on the export of medical supplies in an interview with the agency in April. The ban concerns the export of masks and fabrics for them, but the official did not rule out a change in the situation as soon as the country was adequately provided with them.
After this, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has repeatedly stated that Tehran can already export the goods necessary to counter the coronavirus, while at the same time indicating that this does not currently apply to all positions.
By the end of April, Iran managed to increase mask production tenfold in the context of the spread of coronavirus: from about 400 thousand masks per day to more than 4 million. The deficiency of protective equipment observed in the first weeks of the spread of coronavirus (from February 19) was more or less removed.
Iran is gradually lifting restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus: enterprises with low and medium risks of spreading the coronavirus resumed their activity in the country, and in late May it is expected to open points involving a large concentration of people. The resumption of sporting events without spectators is planned. More and more attention is being paid to the issue of personal safety of citizens: wearing masks is mandatory in public transport, it is recommended to wear them on the street.
Iran passed, according to Rouhani, the peak of the spread of coronavirus in late March or early April, but it is still far from the end of COVID-19. Currently, more than 118 thousand cases of coronavirus infection have been detected in the country, of which almost 7 thousand are fatal. At the same time, the number of recovered reached 93 thousand people.