Iran reports 2 more deaths, 13 new cases of new coronavirus

Iran is reporting two more deaths from new virus that emerged in China and says fatalities were from among 13 new confirmed cases of virus in Iran.

report on Friday by semiofficial Mehr news ncy came as Iranians voted in nationwide parliamentary elections. After authorities reported two earlier deaths this week, death toll from COVID-19, illness caused by virus, stands at four.

So far, 18 cases have been confirmed in Iran, including four who died.

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spokesman of health ministry, Kiaush Jahanpour, said newly detected cases are all linked with city of Qom where first two elderly patients died on Wednesday.

Jahanpour said new cases were eir from Qom or h visited city recently. He said four of m are hospitalized in capital, Tehran, and two in rrn province of Gilan.

Concerns over spre of virus, which originated in central China, prompted authorities in Iran to close all schools and Shiite seminaries in Qom.

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