Iran is to ban intercity travel from Thursday or Friday in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus in one of the world's worst-hit countries, officials said. "New journeys will be banned, leaving towns and cities will be banned," government spokesman Ali Rabii announced after President Hassan Rouhani revealed the government was poised to introduce tough new measures against the outbreak after weeks of largely unsuccessful cajoling. Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli told official news agency IRNA Wednesday that the ban would enter force "tomorrow or the day after". ap-mj/kir/fz