Mohammad Ali Dastak, a newly elected member of Iranian parliament, has died of coronavirus.
Dastak, who was recently elected as the representative for Astana Ashrafieh, died on Saturday morning. He tested positive to the virus a few days ago.
Kianush Jahanpur, Iran health ministry spokesman, said the virus has killed at least 43 persons in the Islamic Republic, amid 593 confirmed cases.
“Unfortunately nine people died of the virus in the last 24 hours. The death toll is 43 now,” Jahanpur said.
“The new confirmed infected cases since yesterday is 205 that makes the total number of confirmed infected people 593.”
But there are reports that not less than 210 people infected with the disease have died in Iran.
The confirmed cases in Iran has made it the country with the fourth-highest number of cases in the world and highest number of coronavirus deaths outside China.
Masoumeh Ebtekar, Iran vice-president for women and affairs, had recently contracted coronavirus.
Ebtekar contracted the disease two days after Iraj Harirchi, the country’s deputy health minister, tested positive to it.
To curtail the spread of the virus, Iran has cancelled Friday prayers while officials urged residents to avoid travel within the country.
It also banned Chinese citizens from entering the country.
Nigeria recorded its first case of the disease on Friday, following the arrival of an Italian businessman from Milan, which has the highest rate of the infection in Europe.
