Death toll in Iran from coronavirus climbs to 853

ISTANBUL

The death toll in Iran from the coronavirus outbreak rose to 853, local media reported on Monday.

Authorities said 129 people died over the last 24 hours, while 1,053 new cases emerged, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 14,991, Iran's state television quoted Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour as saying.

A total of 4,996 people have been discharged from hospitals after recovering from the virus, Jahanpour added.

The first case of the coronavirus in the country was confirmed in Qom province on Feb. 19.

Turkey, which has 18 confirmed cases of coronavirus, closed its land borders and suspended air travel to Iran last month.

Besides China, Italy and South Korea, Iran are among the worst-affected countries since the outbreak of the disease last December.

As part of its efforts to contain the virus, Tehran has taken several measures, including the closure of all schools and higher education institutions, calling off sports events and banning government officials from leaving the country.

The novel strain of coronavirus known as COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan, China last December, and has spread to at least 146 countries and territories.

The global death toll now numbers around 6,500, with more than 164,000 confirmed cases, according to WHO.