Iran Reports 92 More Deaths, 1,600 New Coronavirus Cases

Death toll mounts to 4,869; 52,229 discharged while 3,594 patients remain in critical condition; minister calls on people to stay at home, saying, ‘we are expecting the epidemic to pick up in autumn’

Iran on Thursday announced 92 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, the third straight day that official fatalities remained in double digits in the Middle East’s worst-hit country.

Health ministry spokesman Kinaoush Jahanpour told a news conference the latest deaths brought the official total to 4,869.

He added that 1,606 new infections had been confirmed in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 77,995 from 310,340 tests.

Of those confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus and admitted to hospital, 52,229 had been discharged after recovering, which he described as a “rising trend.” Another 3,594 patients are in critical condition.

There has been speculation abroad that the number of deaths and infections is higher than officially announced.

A report published on Tuesday by parliament said the real death toll from Iran’s outbreak was estimated to be as much as 80 per cent more than that announced by the government.

“The assessment is that the actual mortality which has not been accounted for is 0.8 times the official figures. The number of infected cases could be 8 to 10 times the official figures,” the report said.