TEHRAN: Iran’s health ministry on Monday reported the largest number of cases from the COVID-19 disease, the highest toll within 24 hours since the start of the novel coronavirus outbreak in the country.
Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour announced the figures saying in the past 24 hours, 595 new cases were confirmed, bringing the total number of patients with COVID-19 to 7,161.
He added that so far, 2,391 patients suffering from the novel coronavirus have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. According to him, 43 people lost their lives to the deadly virus in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 237.
Globally, COVID-19 has so far infected 110,092 people in 109 countries, claiming 3,831 lives. Besides China and Iran, South Korea with 7,382 patients and 53 deaths and Italy with 7,375 infected cases and 366 deaths are the two mostly-affected countries.
Iran has temporarily released approximately 70,000 prisoners because of the coronavirus outbreak in the country, Iranian judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi said, according to Mizan, the news site of the judiciary.
“The release of the prisoners, to the point where it doesn’t create insecurity in society … will continue,” he said, without specifying when those released would need to return to jail.
Iran is facing the world’s third-most serious outbreak. Iran has imposed travel restrictions in 15 provinces. Schools and universities have been closed until the end of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, celebrations in early April.
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