The Iranian Ministry of Health said one more man with nCoV infection died, bringing the total number of deaths from the disease in the country to 5.

"We recorded 10 new cases of Covid-19. One of these cases was unfortunate," Iranian Ministry of Health spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour told state television today. He added that 8 out of 10 new cases were hospitalized in Qom, the holy city of Shiite Muslims and two in Tehran, but did not specify the death.

Jahanpour said on February 21 that Iran had received four batches of medical equipment to support the detection of nCoV from the World Health Organization (WHO), but declined to comment on the source of the Covid-19 outbreak in this country.

The first two Iranians died from the Covid-19 epidemic on February 19, the first two deaths from the disease in the Middle East. Iraq's neighboring country one day later declared tightening its travel activities with Iran "until further notice".

Iranian state television today reported Morteza Rahmanzadeh, district chief of Tehran, on February 21, hospitalized and positive for nCoV. The Fars news agency later quoted District 13 public relations officials rejecting the information, saying that Rahmanzadeh was still healthy.

The Covid-19 outbreak starting in China in December 2019 has appeared in 30 countries and territories. Worldwide, 2,360 people died, 77,672 people were infected with nCoV, 20,895 people recovered and 12,071 were in critical condition. Iran recorded 28 cases of Covid-19 and 5 deaths.