Iran Death Toll Rises To 3,603 As Coronavirus Kills 150 More

‘Under the supervision of the health ministry, all those low-risk economic activities will resume from April 18. The decision does not contradict stay at home advice by the health authorities: Rouhani

The death toll in Iran from the outbreak of the new coronavirus has reached 3,603, health ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said in a statement broadcast live on state TV on Sunday.

One hundred and fifty-one people have died in the past twenty-four hours, he said.

The Islamic Republic, the Middle Eastern country worst-hit by the epidemic, now has a total of 58,226 infections, Jahanpur said.

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday “low-risk” economic activities would resume from April 11 in the Middle Eastern country worst-affected by the new coronavirus.

Iran has been struggling to curb the spread of the highly infectious respiratory disease known as COVID-19 but authorities are also concerned that measures to limit public life to contain the virus could wreck an already sanctions-battered economy.

“Under the supervision of the health ministry, all those low-risk economic activities will resume from Saturday,” Rouhani said in a televised meeting, adding that “those activities will resume in Tehran from April 18”.

“Two-thirds of all Iranian government employees will work out of the office from Saturday. The decision does not contradict stay at home advice by the health authorities.”