Iran today recorded 15 new deaths from nCoV, bringing the number of deaths to 92 and 2,922.

"The number of new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours is 586. 15 unfortunate people have lost their lives," Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said today during a news conference in Tehran. The number of new infections is down from 835 yesterday. However, the number of new deaths increased from 11 a day earlier.

IranWire website, citing anonymity, said Iranian First Vice President Eshagh Jahangiri was infected with nCoV and is being treated. Iranian officials have not confirmed this information.

Many senior Iranian officials have been positive for nCoV, including Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar and Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi, who heads the government's anti-Covid-19 task force. Mohammad Mirmohammadi, 71, a member of the advisory board for the Iranian supreme leader, on March 2 died of a virus infection.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said today in a cabinet meeting in Tehran that Covid-19 had "spread to most provinces". However, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said the outbreak did not affect the country's oil production.

The Iranian authorities on 26 February imposed restrictions on traveling with or suspected nCoV infected people, closing schools, suspending prayers every Friday. However, many large Shiite temples remain open despite official appeals. Iran on March 3 temporarily released 54,000 prisoners to avoid spreading nCoV in crowded prisons.

Covid-19 appears in 81 countries and territories, causing more than 94,000 infections, more than 3,200 deaths and more than 51,000 recover. Iran is the third largest outbreak of Covid-19 in the world after mainland China and South Korea, with 2,922 cases. Italy ranked fourth with more than 2,500 infections and 79 deaths.