Iran imposes mandatory quarantine for travellers from Europe

Travellers to Iran from Europe will be required to self-quarantine for two weeks after testing negative upon arrival, a health official said on Saturday.

Travellers from other regions, including neighbouring countries, will have to have tested negative before arrival in the country, Alireza Raisi, spokesman for the national coronavirus task force, said on state TV.

Raisi said travellers arriving from Europe should be holding negative test results, will be tested again and will have to self-quarantine even if their test is negative, state media reported.

Previously, people coming from Europe were only required to test negative.

He did not say when exactly the new measures will go into effect, saying only "from now on."

Meanwhile, health officials said the Iranian-manufactured Barekat vaccine was found effective against the highly contagious coronavirus variant that emerged in Britain.