"435 patients have been released from hospital after being cured," he said.

"23 lawmaker tested positive for coronavirus," Parliament Deputy Speaker Abdul Reza Misri said in a statement.

The coronavirus outbreak, which has so far been detected in 65 countries, claimed the lives of at least 3,000 people across the world.

Olympic minister of Japan Seiko Hashimo said on Tuesday the Tokyo Olympics could be held later in the year instead of starting on July 24.

"Outside China, a total of 8739 cases of COVID-19 have been reported to WHO from 61 countries, with 127 deaths," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization Outside,  during his opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19.

"In the last 24 hours there were almost 9 times more cases reported outside China than inside China. The epidemics in the Republic of Korea, Italy, Iran and Japan are our greatest concern. We are in unchartered territory. We have never before seen a respiratory pathogen that is capable of community transmission, but which can also be contained with the right measures," he added. (ILKHA)