Travellers coming in to Iran from Europe will be compelled to self-quarantine for two weeks after testing negative upon arrival, according to a national coronavirus taskforce official.

Alireza Raisi, a spokesman for the taskforce, who spoke on state TV, said people arriving from Europe ought to have negative COVID-19 test results, and they would be tested again and then self-quarantine even if their test was negative.

Prior to this announcement, travellers from Europe were only required to test negative.

Raisi added that travellers from other regions, among them Iran's neighbouring countries, will have to have tested negative for COVID-19 before their arrival in the country.

He, however, did not give a specific date when the new measures will take effect, saying only "from now on".

Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday reiterated the necessity for people to abide by health protocols, or the country would face another wave of COVID-19 within the next two months, the official news agency IRNA reported.

Rouhani said that Iran had taken the primary steps to develop and produce a COVID-19 vaccine, and the country's experts were confident the project will be finalized in March so that Iran will begin mass vaccination with the domestically-produced vaccine.

Iran has so far reported more than 1.4 million confirmed cases and more than 57,000 deaths, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University.

(With input from Reuters)