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HEALTH-VIRUS-IRAN-TOLL
Iran reports 85 new virus deaths, taking total to 514
TEHRAN, March 13, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Iran announced on Friday that the new
coronavirus has claimed another 85 lives, the highest single-day death toll
in one of the world’s worst affected countries.
“Sadly, 85 people infected with the COVID-19 disease have died in the past
24 hours”, bringing to 514 the overall number of deaths in Iran, health
ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said in a televised news conference.
“Across the country, at least 1,289 infected people have been added to the
list of confirmed patients,” said Jahanpour.
“The total number of patients has therefore reached 11,364 cases,” he said,
adding Tehran province had the most new infections.
The outbreak in Iran is one of the deadliest outside China, where the
disease originated.
Several politicians and officials both sitting and former, have been
infected, with some dying from the illness.
The latest suspected case of infection was Ali Akbar Velayati, who advises
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on foreign policy.
Velayati fell ill with “mild symptoms” on Wednesday and has been placed in
quarantine, according to Tasnim news agency.
BSS/AFP/IJ/1748 hrs