The country has so far reported 77,995 confirmed coronavirus cases, an increase of 1,066 cases in the last 24 hours.

“52,229 patients suffering from the novel coronavirus have recovered and have been discharged from hospitals so far,” Jahanpour said.

“Some 3,594 patients are in critical condition,” he added.

310,340 tests have been taken across the country to detect infected cases, he noted.

Jahanpour also announced that Smart Distancing Plan will be put into operation in Tehran province on Saturday.

Iran reported its first confirmed cases of COVID-19 infections on 19 February 2020 in Qom.

Iran has the seventh-highest number of COVID-19 deaths after the United States, Italy, Spain, France, the United Kingdom and Belgium, and the eighth-highest number of COVID-19 cases in the world.

The coronavirus pandemic, which was first identified in Wuhan, China, and was declared a pandemic by WHO on March 11, has until now infected 2,094,943 people, killing at least 135,569 worldwide.

ILKHA