The number of new coronavirus infections in Iran has surged, with more than 3000 new daily infections recorded.
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This means more than 700 more daily infections have been recorded this week compared with last week, health ministry spokeswoman Sima Lari told state TV on Friday.
Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi told news agency ISNA the effects of the pandemic would likely worsen.
"The whole country is on red alert, nowhere is safe from the virus ... if this continues we will soon have 45,000 corona deaths," Harirchi said.
He said the only way to stop the virus was strict compliance with coronavirus regulations, especially wearing masks and reducing domestic travel by 50 per cent.
Health experts have recommended a lockdown, which President Hassan Rouhani has opposed and called a "capitulation" to the pandemic.
Rouhani said normalisation and simultaneously conforming to the hygiene rules were the only long-term realistic options.
Overall, 416,198 people have been infected with the coronavirus in Iran and almost 24,000 have died from COVID-19, the health ministry says.
Australian Associated Press
