Iranian Health Ministry Confirms 13 More Novel Coronavirus Cases

Iranian Health Ministry Confirms 13 More Novel Coronavirus Cases

Thirteen more people were infected with the novel coronavirus across Iran, including the capital of Tehran, head of the country's Health Ministry Information Public Relations Kianush Jahanpur said on Friday, adding that the death toll from the virus had reached four

TEHRAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st February, 2020) Thirteen more people were infected with the novel coronavirus across Iran, including the capital of Tehran, head of the country's Health Ministry Information Public Relations Kianush Jahanpur said on Friday, adding that the death toll from the virus had reached four.

"According to the recent results, 13 new [coronavirus] cases were detected," Jahanpur said in a statement.

Seven of the cases were in the city of Qom, where the first coronavirus case in the country was detected, four in Tehran, and two more in the Gilan province, he added. Most of those infected are either Qom residents or have been to the city in recent days or weeks.

The announcement brings the total number of patients to 18, four of whom have died.

Meanwhile, a member of an infectious disease department of the Iranian Health Ministry, Mino Mahrez, said that coronavirus could spread to all cities of the country, as many people recently traveled from Qom to other Iran's cities, including Tehran, Arak and Rasht.

The new virus was first detected in China's Wuhan in late December and has since spread to more than 25 countries. According to China's health authorities, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in mainland China has crossed 75,000, and over 2,200 patients have died.