AFP
Iran yesterday announced another 135 deaths from the novel coronavirus, bringing the overall toll to 988 in one of the world's worst-hit countries. "Reports by more than 56 laboratories indicated that we have had 1,178 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection in the past 24 hours," health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said in a televised news conference. "This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 16,169 as of today noon," he added. Jahanpour also said 5,389 people who were infected had been discharged from hospitals "with general good health". Tehran province recorded the highest number of new infections with 273 fresh cases.