Iran reports record spike in daily COVID-19 fatalities

TEHRAN

At least 239 more coronavirus-related fatalities, the highest single-day rise since the beginning of the pandemic, have raised the death toll in Iran to 27,658, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

A total of 4,019 more people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, pushing the overall count up to 483,844, ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said.

She added that 397,109 patients have recovered so far, while 4,274 are hospitalized in critical condition.

Lari warned that 30 of Iran’s 31 provinces are in the red zone with high risk of coronavirus infection.

Iran is struggling to contain the pandemic since February, when the first cases were confirmed in the city of Qom.

Restrictions have been reimposed in Tehran, Qom, Qazvin, and Alborz provinces after the country has seen a significant surge in new infections and fatalities in recent weeks.

Health Minister Saeed Namaki earlier warned that the country was in the grip of a third wave after managing to overcome the first two waves.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz from Ankara