A girl wearing face mask walks on a street in downtown Tehran, Iran, on March 18, 2020. The death toll from COVID-19 on Wednesday soared to 1,135 in Iran, where the raging pandemic showed no signs of easing, as the total number of confirmed cases surged to 17,361. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua)
TEHRAN, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education on Wednesday announced the death of 1,135 people out of 17,361 infections with the novel coronavirus, according to official IRNA news agency.
A total of 5,710 people have recovered, Kianush Jahanpur, head of Public Relations and Information Center of the ministry, was quoted as saying by IRNA news agency.
The health ministry urged people to avoid unnecessary travels during the Iranian new year Nowruz holidays which start on Friday.
If people do not heed the calls of the authorities to avoid staying at homes, the country may wrestle with the disease for long time, a deputy health minister was quoted as saying.
Iran is among the countries which have been severely hit by the outbreak of novel coronavirus.
Facing the outbreak of the epidemic in the country, China sent a five-member expert team on Feb. 29 to Tehran to help control and prevent the spread of the virus in the Islamic republic.
