Iran announces three new cases of coronavirus after two deaths

Tehran: Iran said on Thursday that three more people have been infected with the new coronavirus that originated in central China, following an announcement the day before that two people had died of the illness caused by the virusin the Iranian city of Qom.

All schools and universities, including religious Shiite seminaries, were shut down in the city, according to the official IRNA news agency. Other news reports said Iran had recently evacuated 60 Iranian students from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the epicentre of the epidemic.

IRNA reported that the three new cases are all Iranians residing in Qom, with one of the infected having visited the city of Arak.

Mohammad Mahdi Gouya, Iran’s deputy health minister, said they did not appear to have had any contact with Chinese nationals.

Iran’s health minister, Saeed Namaki said the roughly 60 Iranian students evacuated from Wuhan had been quarantined upon their return to Iran and were discharged after 14 days without any health problems.