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Iran
A Tehran Municipality worker cleans a bus to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 illness on February 26, 2020. Photo: Atta Kenare/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region -- New deaths were reported in coronavirus-hit Iran on Friday as the number of the confirmed infections reached 388, according to a spokesperson from the Ministry of Health.
143 new cases have been registered since Thursday, the highest number since the first confirmed case was reported in the city of Qom on February 19, according to Kainoush Jahanpour.
The official death toll now stands at 34, with the average age of those infected is over 60 years old.
Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, was first reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019.
The virus has since spread to more than 56 countries and territories and has infected at least 83,853 people, killing 2,873. Particular hotspots outside China include South Korea, Japan, Iran, and Italy.
Several senior officials and lawmakers have tested positive in Iran, including Deputy for Women's Affairs Massoumeh Ebteka - the highest-ranking woman in the governmental cabinet.
Iraj Harirchi, head of an Iranian government task force on the coronavirus, tested positive for the illness on Tuesday.
Iran has taken several measures to prevent further outbreak of the virus, closing schools, universities and education centres as well as cancelling all public gathering and events.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday that the United States has offered assistance to Iran, adding that he was “concerned” Tehran is not sharing information about the virus.
The speedy outbreak of the deadly virus has concerned the international community and health institutions, with World Health Organization spokesperson Christian Lindmeier warning on Friday that “The outbreak is getting bigger.”
The organisation has now updated the risk of the virus spreading to “very high” according to AFP.
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