Russia Gives Iran 500 Coronavirus Diagnostic Systems for 50,000 Tests - Watchdog

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iran has received from Russia coronavirus diagnostic systems designed for 50,000 tests, Russian consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said.

"Due to the deteriorating epidemiological situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran because of the spread of the novel coronavirus infection, Rospotrebnadzor provided free of charge test systems for laboratory diagnosis of the new coronavirus infection in the amount of 500 sets for 50,000 tests", Rospotrebnadzor stated.

It said that the test systems had also been received by Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia and North Korea.

Overall, about 800 test systems were handed for laboratory diagnosis of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which will allow specialists to conduct 80,000 tests.

Tonnes of medical equipment and coronavirus testing kits provided bt the World Health Organisation are pictured at the al-Maktum International airport in Dubai on March 2, 2020 as it is prepared to be delivered to Iran with a United Arab Emirates military transport plane.

© AFP 2023 / KARIM SAHIB

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has described COVID-19 as a pandemic. The overall number of coronavirus disease cases worldwide exceeds 118,000 in 114 countries, with more than 4,200 deaths. Iran is one of the countries hardest hit. Some 350 people have succumbed to the disease and a total of 9,000 have been infected.