Iran reports 211 more virus deaths, over 3,800 cases

TEHRAN

At least 211 more coronavirus fatalities have raised the death toll in Iran to 26,380, the country's Health Ministry said on Thursday.

Some 3,825 more people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, pushing the overall count up to 461,044, ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said.

She added that 383,368 patients have recovered so far, while 4,121 remain in critical condition.

Lari warned that 30 of Iran’s 31 provinces are currently red zones with high risk of coronavirus transmission.

Iran is struggling to contain the pandemic since February, when the first cases were confirmed in the city of Qom.

In recent weeks, Iran has seen a significant surge in new infections and fatalities after restrictions were eased, drawing criticism from health activists.

Health Minister Saeed Namaki earlier warned that the country was in the grip of a third wave after managing to overcome the first two waves.