Nineteen people have died and 139 are infected with coronavirus in Iran, Iranian Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said on Wednesday.
The virus’s death toll in Iran is the highest outside of China, where the current outbreak began, with some commentators and Iranians worrying that the number of cases and deaths are higher than officially reported, according to Reuters.
Iran’s deputy health minister has tested positive for the virus, according to Iranian state media.
Public events such as soccer matches have been canceled throughout the country, and some schools and universities have been closed as authorities urge residents to stay home, according to Reuters.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned on Wednesday that “corona should not be turned into a weapon of our enemies for shutting down work and production in the country.”
Meanwhile, Kuwait’s Health Ministry announced on Wednesday that 18 people in the country have been infected with the virus, while the United Arab Emirates has reported 13 cases, according to Reuters. Bahrain has reported eight cases.
The AP reported that Iraq and Oman announced their first cases on Monday.
