Iran announces 63 new virus deaths

Iran says the new coronavirus has killed 63 more people, raising the death toll to 354 amid over 9,000 cases.

That's according to a Health Ministry spokesman who spoke in a live, televised news conference on Wednesday.

Across the Mideast, more than 9,000 people have contracted the virus and the COVID-19 illness it causes. The majority come from hard-hit Iran, which has one of the world's worst death tolls outside of China, the epicenter of the outbreak.

In Bahrain, authorities say their number of confirmed cases on Wednesday spiked by nearly 70% to 189 confirmed cases. The new cases were all on a returning flight of Bahraini evacuees from Iran.

Officials found 77 on board tested positive for the new coronavirus, compared to the 112 already reported in the country off the coast of Saudi Arabia. It pushed Bahrain's overall total to 189 confirmed cases.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.