Iran calls on people to stay at home as death toll rises to 66

Iran says there are 66 dead amid 1,501 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in the Islamic Republic.

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That’s according to Iran Health Ministry spokesman Ali Reza Azizi, who gave the figure at a news conference Monday in Tehran.

An Iranian young couple wears protective masks to prevent contracting a coronavirus in Tehran. Reuters

Iran has the highest death toll from the virus outside of China, the epicenter of the outbreak.

Iranian officials are among those affected, with a member of Iran’s Expediency Council dying Monday.

Also on Sunday, Iran's state broadcaster said all flights to the city of Rasht, the capital of nothern Gilan province, had been suspended. It gave no reasons why. The area of Gilan has some of Iran's highest number of infections after the capital, Tehran, and the holy city of Qom, the epicenter of the virus outbreak in the country.

A mask-clad woman makes her way through Tajrish Bazaar in Tehran on Saturday. AFP

The virus, which originated in central China, has infected at least seven government officials in Iran, including one of its vice presidents and a senior health ministry official.

Associated Press