Iranian authorities permitted some businesses in Tehran and nearby towns to re-open Saturday after weeks of lockdown aimed at containing the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Traffic was heavy in the capital early Saturday, the first day of the work week.
Iran, which was slow to respond to the pandemic, has reported more than 80,000 cases and over 5,000 deaths caused by the virus.
Gyms, restaurants, shopping malls and Tehran's grand bazaar will remain closed, in addition to shrines, mosques, schools and universities.
The ban on public gatherings remains in place, while government offices have reopened with a third of employees working from home.
Iran's leaders said earlier they had to consider the economic consequences of quarantine measures, as the country struggles under severe sanctions imposed by US President Donald Trump after he withdrew the from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers, the Associated Press reported.
Meanwhile, UN human rights experts called on Iran, Friday, to release political prisoners who could be vulnerable to infection inside the country's detention facilities.
“Some are at great risk from COVID-19 due to their age or underlying health conditions. We call on the authorities to immediately release them,” the UN experts said.
For his part, Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili denied claims that nationality was a factor in the prisoner releases.
He was quoted by the Hamshahri daily as saying release is denied when it is forbidden by law or when "their freedom puts our citizens’ social, economic and psychological security at risk.”
Iran has temporarily released 100,000 prisoners, but is still detaining many dual-nationals convicted on security charges.
