BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.2
Trend:
Iran's Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare to pay out $3.3 billion to local businesses that have been damaged by the spread of COVID-19, said Deputy of Development Entrepreneurship and Employment Issa Mansouri, Trend reports via Tasnim News Agency.
"The figure was defined in form of advances to be paid to companies of 14 business categories and 858 subcategories," said Mansouri.
"In addition, about $476 million will be paid out to the tourism sector $404 million to cultural and arts sector, $190 million to the sports sector - all based on the approval of the National Headquarters to Fight Coronavirus," he said.
Mansouri said the payments to the damaged businesses will continue.
"The government has provided advances to businesses that were damaged by COVID-19 since last Iranian year (started March 21,2019), " he said.
Iran continues to monitor the coronavirus situation in the country. The country continues to apply strict measures to contain the further spread. Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease.
The Islamic Republic only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19.
The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019.