Iran's Health Ministry on Sunday announced 49 new fatalities within the space of a day due to the coronavirus, bringing the the number of those killed by the virus in the country since mid-February to 194.
Countrywide, 6,566 people are infected with the virus, a jump of 743 compared to the previous day, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said on Sunday.
At least 22,177 people are currently under medical care, while the number of discharged patients stands at 55,404, he said.
The spokesman urged people not to travel to the provinces to avoid unleashing a new wave of infections, and suggested that ideally, people should stay home.
His warning came as millions of Iranians plan trips to the provinces to celebrate Persian new year.
Besides China, Italy, and South Korea, Iran is the worst-affected country since the outbreak of the disease last December.
As part of its efforts to contain the virus, Tehran has taken several measures, including the closure of all schools and institutions of higher education, calling off sports events, and banning government officials from leaving the country.
First detected in Wuhan, China in December, the virus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread to more than 80 countries.
The global death toll is nearly 3,500, and over 100,000 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
As part of efforts to contain the outbreak, governments have closed borders and suspended land and air travel with the worst-hit countries.
After declaring the outbreak an international health emergency in January, last month the WHO updated the global risk level to "very high."
