Iran Reports Death Toll From Coronavirus Spikes to 988
'The death toll is 988 ... with 1,178 new infected people in the past 24 hours, now the total number of infected cases is 16,169 across the country,' says health official
Firefighters disinfect a street against the new coronavirus, in western Tehran, Iran, March 13, 2020.Credit: Vahid Salemi,AP
Iran says the new coronavirus has killed 135 more people, a 13% spike that raises the death toll to 988 amid 16,169 infections.
That’s according to Iran Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour, who gave the figure at a televised news conference Tuesday.
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The death toll’s continued sharp increase worries experts that the outbreak in the Islamic Republic is far from being contained.
Meanwhile, Friday will mark the Persian New Year, Nowruz, raising fears of people traveling and further spreading the virus.