The increase in number of new infections raises the total number of confirmed cases to 4,744 and the overall death toll to 124.

Iran imposed further travel restrictions for its citizens as part of efforts to contain the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, which claimed the lives of more than 3,300 people around the world.

The country closed schools and universities until 20 March because of coronavirus.

The virus was first detected in Wuhan city, Central China, in December 2019. It is believed to have originated from wild animals, passing to humans due to the wildlife trade and wet markets. The virus spread to other China provinces in early and mid-January 2020, helped by the Chinese new year migration.

On 30 January 2020, following confirmation of human-to-human transmission outside China and the increase in number of cases in other countries, the WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the sixth PHEIC since the measure was first invoked during the 2009 swine flu pandemic. (ILKHA)