Iran's coronavirus death toll rises by 90 in past 24 hours

Iran's coronavirus death toll rose by 90 in the past 24 hours to 5,481, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said on Thursday.

The total number of infections reached 87,026, he said. Iran is the second hardest-hit country in the Middle East by the virus after Turkey.

Last week, the capital Tehran partially reopened from a brief lockdown after reported deaths hit a one-month low.

Schools and universities remain closed, and a ban on cultural, religious and sports gatherings has been imposed. Iran may also ban public events marking the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan which starts in late April, Reuters reported.

Yesterday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the country could export testing kits to other countries, contradicting claims that US sanctions on the country meant the Islamic Republic would be unable to do so.

Iran has argued that sanctions against the country should be lifted as the country continues to fight rising coronavirus case counts.

Last week, the country announced it will receive $50 million and 130 million euros in loans from the World Bank and the Islamic Development Bank, respectively, to purchase equipment needed to fight coronavirus from abroad.

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