Page 37 - IRANRptApr20

Iranians with no flight home from Italy granted 60-day visa extensions
Iranian nationals stuck in Italy after the cancellation of IranAir flights to Europe following measures taken to combat the coronavirus spread have been given 60-day visa extensions, Mehr news agency reported on March 10.
Italy and Iran have the world’s second and third biggest coronavirus outbreaks, respectively.
The Iranian consulate in Milan said in a statement that Iranian officials spoke with their Italian counterparts and agreed unofficial visa extensions due to extenuating circumstances. Iranian citizens needing an extension should inform local law enforcement, it added.
Italy has historically been one of Iran’s biggest European trading partners. Several Italian companies operate in Tehran and elsewhere in the Islamic Republic.
9.1.4​ Transport sector news
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has suspended the Al-Firi ferry crossing with Iran, as a measure to stop the spread of the coronavirus from the Islamic Republic, Al-Bayan news agency reported on February 27. Several of Iran’s neighbours have closed their borders to the country as the death toll from the coronavirus infection continuous to mount. Several hundred people are now suspected of carrying the deadly virus, with many now being sent home to die.
The Federal Authority for Land and Maritime Transport said it had announced the suspension of "Al-Firi" passenger transport services with the Islamic Republic of Iran until further notice.
The authority obliges all commercial ships coming to the emirate to provide a statement on the health status of seafarers 72 hours before their arrival, to monitor suspicious cases between seafarers and local port staff.
Abu Dhabi’s Health Ministry reported six new cases of the Covid-19 virus from people including Iranians, Chinese and one Bahraini, the government announced on February 23.
This brings the total number of persons diagnosed with coronavirus in the UAE to 19 cases. It added the newly infected persons had come from Iran before the suspension of flights to Tehran and Shiraz.
Unconfirmed reports said the UAE had several deaths from travellers with the virus; however, these have all been denied by authorities.
9.1.5​ Tourism sector news
Tourism was one of the few ​sectors​ of Iran's economy that had not fallen prey to successive rounds of US economic sanctions unleashed by the Donald Trump administration. But now ​Iran​ is facing an even more formidable foe than Washington, as the coronavirus pandemic sweeps through the Islamic Republic. ​More than 1,100 people have died from COVID-19 in Iran, where the number of confirmed infections is surpassing 17,300, according to Iran's health ministry.
Armenia’s embassy in Iran has shut down its consular department and embassy following the outbreak of the coronavirus in the country, it announced on Facebook on February 23.
Following the news of spiking deaths from the deadly virus, Armenia, Turkey, Afghanistan and Azerbaijan reportedly joined the list of neighbours sealing up their borders with Iran. Azerbaijan gradually closed its borders, including in
37​ IRAN Country Report April 2020 www.intellinews.com