Iran: Death toll from coronavirus rises to 7,359

Iran on Saturday confirmed 59 more fatalities from coronavirus over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 7,359.

A further 1,869 people tested positive for COVID-19, raising the overall count to 133,521, said the Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour.

He said 104,072 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals so far, while 2,633 patients remain in critical condition.

Jahanpour said no deaths have been reported in 14 states of the country in the past 24 hours due to COVID-19.

In Iran, one of the countries in the Middle East hardest hit by the disease, COVID-19 was first detected in the city of Qom on Feb. 19 and then spread throughout the country.

More than 5.23 million cases have been reported in 188 countries and regions since the virus emerged in China last December.

The US, Russia, Brazil, and several European countries are currently the hardest-hit in the world.

The pandemic has claimed over 338,500 lives worldwide, while recoveries exceed 2 million, according to figures compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins University.