Tasnim � Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said a surge in the number of coronavirus cases has been a result of insufficient attention to the health protocols, not the resumption of economic and social activities.

In a meeting with the officials in charge of specialized committees of the Coronavirus Fight National Headquarters on Thursday, Rouhani said careful evaluations suggest that the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in some parts of Iran was not caused by the resumption of economic and social activities.

The surge in the COVID-19 cases was a result of failure to observe the health regulations fully and strictly, he added.

The assumption that the virus has gotten weaker and the move to hold gatherings and parties, such as wedding ceremonies and mourning events, resulted in a rise in the infection cases, the president said.

He also noted that two main strategies to contain the second wave of the coronavirus outbreak in Iran are the use of face masks in the public, indoor and high-risk places, and a ban on gatherings, wedding ceremonies, funerals, and parties.

The Health Ministry says the number of people tested positive for COVID-19 infection in Iran has risen to 284,034 and the death toll has exceeded 15,000.

At least 247,230 patients have recovered from the coronavirus infection so far or have been discharged from hospitals across Iran.