ANKARA

At least 23 Iranian members of parliament have tested positive for coronavirus, an official said Tuesday.

"As of now, 23 members of parliament were tested positive," Parliament Deputy Speaker Abdul Reza Misri said in a statement.

He said that meetings between lawmakers and citizens were suspended due to health concerns.

Iranian authorities said Monday 66 people have died of COVID-19, with a total of 1,501 confirmed cases.

The global death toll from coronavirus has crossed 3,000.

The World Health Organization, which already declared the outbreak an international health emergency, updated the global risk level to very high.