Daily cases of coronavirus top 2,000 in Iran
Iran reported more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases on Friday, the highest daily count since April 7, which comes amid easing of lockdown restrictions across the country, Anadolu news agency reported.
The Health Ministry said 2,102 people tested positive for COVID-19 over the 24 hours, raising the overall count to 116,635, according to the source. The death toll rose to 6,902 with 48 more fatalities over the past day.
The ministry said 91,836 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals so far, while 2,727 patients remain in critical condition.
A total of 658,604 tests have been conducted in the country, according to the ministry.
Iran, where the virus was first detected on Feb. 19, remains one of the worst-hit countries in the Middle East.
It reminds that the latest spike in cases comes as authorities have been gradually allowing the reopening of "low-risk" businesses since April 11. Earlier this week, Iran reopened all mosques across the country despite surging case numbers, while schools in "low-risk" regions are set to reopen on May 16.