Iran calls on people to stay at home as death toll rises to 43

Deaths in Iran from coronavirus have hit 43, the highest number outside China, and the total number of infected people has risen to 593, an Iranian health official said on Feb. 29.

As several countries in the Middle East reported cases of the coronavirus stemming from Iran, the country is at the epicenter of the outbreak in the region.

"Unfortunately nine people died of the virus in the last 24 hours, increasing the death toll to 43 ... the total number of infected people is 593," Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur told state TV, calling on people to stay at home.

Iran's Health Minister Saeed Namaki warned on Feb. 28 of "a very difficult week" ahead in Iran, which only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19 and where the death rate among confirmed cases has been around 10 percent, compared to around 3 percent elsewhere.

Tehran has ordered the shutting of schools until March 3 and the government has extended the closure of universities and a ban on concerts and sports events for a week.

Several high-ranking officials, including a vice minister, deputy health minister and five lawmakers, have tested positive for the coronavirus as outbreak forced Iran's clerical rulers to close the parliament and impose internal travel bans.

One lawmaker, elected in Iran's Feb. 21 polls, had died of the coronavirus, Iranian media reported on Feb. 29.

Iran's government spokesman will hold his weekly news conference online due to the outbreak, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

Iran's foreign ministry advised Iranians to avoid trips to South Korea, which reported 594 new coronavirus infections on Feb. 29, taking its tally to 2,931 cases.

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