Iran’s Deputy Health Minister Infected With Coronavirus

Iran’ s deputy health minister, Iraj Harirchi, has been infected with the new coronavirus, a ministry official said.

“The Coronavirus test for Mr Harirchi, the deputy health minister who was on the front lines combating the coronavirus, was positive,” Alireza Vahabzadeh, a media adviser to the health minister , said in a tweet .

Iraj Harirchi coughed occasionally and appeared to be sweating during a press conference on Monday with government spokesman Ali Rabiei.

At the conference, Harirchi denied a lawmaker’s claim that 50 people have died from the virus in the Shiite shrine city of Qom, saying he would “resign” if the number proves true.

Iran confirmed three more deaths and 34 new infections on Tuesday, taking the country’s overall death toll to 15 and infection tally to 95.

The Islamic republic has been hit by the deadliest coronavirus outbreak by far outside China.