Iran to Close Schools and Universities Starting 20 March Due to Coronavirus Outbreak

The number of people infected in Iran by COVID-19 has increased from 2,922 to 3,513, with the death toll at 107, according to the health ministry. Some 552 people have already recovered.

Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki has stated that authorities have decided to close schools and universities in the country until the end of the Iranian calendar year on 20 March due to the coronavirus outbreak.

He continued on by saying that Iran will begin manning checkpoints to limit travel between major cities.

The statement comes after Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said that the virus has affected almost all the regions in the country. Last week, the country's parliament made a decision to suspend work until further notice due to the ongoing outbreak.

Iran is among one of the hardest-hit by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

As of 5 March, more than 95,000 cases of the coronavirus have been reported globally, with more than 3,200 deaths, the vast majority of which were in China’s Hubei Province where the virus originated. It has already spread to more than 70 countries across the world, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Nigeria, and others. More than 53,000 people have recovered from the disease.