Coronavirus deaths rise to almost 19,000 in Iran

As many as 188 new coronavirus-related fatalities have raised the death toll in Iran to 18,988, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

A total of 2,510 people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, pushing the tally to 333,699, according to ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari.

She said more than 290,244 patients have recovered so far, while 3,940 are hospitalized in critical condition.

Since appearing in China last December, the virus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University's Coronavirus Resource Center.

More than 20.3 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with over 741, 000 deaths and over 12.6 million recoveries.