Death Toll from Coronavirus in Iran Nears 1,000: Health Official

Speaking at a daily press conference on Tuesday, Kianoush Jahanpour said that since yesterday noon, the total number of coronavirus cases in the country has increased by 1,178, reaching 16,169.

Over the past 24 hours, 125 patients have lost their lives, the spokesman said, adding that the death toll from the new coronavirus epidemic in the country has risen to 988.

Fortunately, 5,389 patients infected with the COVID-19 have recovered and have been discharged from the hospital so far, he said.

Medical staffs in all 31 provinces of Iran have been working tirelessly over the past weeks to contain the novel coronavirus.

First detected in Wuhan city in central China in December, the virus has spread to more than 140 countries.

More than 182,000 have been infected globally, according to the WHO. Of those, about 80,000 have recovered.