TEHRAN: Iran on Monday announced strict curbs in the capital Tehran and a nearby province to stem the spread of Covid-19, as daily infections drew close to an all-time high. President Hassan Rouhani had earlier this month warned of a "fifth wave" because of an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant in the Middle East's hardest-hit country.

Government offices and banks in Tehran and Alborz provinces are set to close from 6 pm (1330 GMT) until next Monday morning, the national virus taskforce said in a statement.

The restrictions also include a ban on car travel to and from the two provinces, and a new shutdown of high-risk businesses across Iran's worst-hit areas. The new measures coincide with the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday celebrated in the Islamic republic on Wednesday.