Iran raises death toll to 54 from new coronavirus

Iran's health ministry raised on Sunday nationwide death toll from new coronavirus to 54 as number of infected cases jumped overnight to 978 people.

ministry's spokesman Kiaush Jahanpour said new cases were confirmed in a number of cities, including Mashh, which is home to Iran's most important Shiite shrine that attracts pilgrims from across region. Calls by Iran's civilian government to clerics to close such shrines to to public have t been uniformly followed. shrine in Mashh is among those that have remained open.

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new figures represent 11 more deaths than reported on Saturday and a whopping 385 new cases of infections. new numbers, however, bring down percent of deaths to infections from 20 per cent to around 5.5 per cent. Still, that is much higher than or countries, suggesting number of infections may also be much higher. Jahanpour said in his daily briefing that number of cases is "still inclining" across Iran.

Also on Sunday, Iran's state brocaster said all flights to city of Rasht, capital of rn Gilan province, h been suspended. It gave reasons why. area of Gilan has some of Iran's highest number of infections after capital, Tehran, and holy city of Qom, epicenter of virus outbreak in country. illness, kwn as COVID-19 and that originated in central China, has infected at least seven government officials in Iran, including one of its vice presidents and a senior health ministry official.

Iran has said it is preparing for possibility of “tens of thousands” of people getting tested for virus behind outbreak. Of more than 1,100 cases in Middle East, majority trace back to Islamic Republic. virus has infected more than 86,000 people worldwide and caused more than 2,900 deaths since emerging in China. Iran has world's highest death toll outside of China. 

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