Iranians have been urged to observe health protocols as no fewer than 140 of health workers in Iran had died of the novel coronavirus, with thousands of others infected.
The Islamic republic has been struggling to contain the Middle East’s worst COVID-19 outbreak since announcing its first cases in mid-February.
“Five thousand of our doctors and nurses have been infected with COVID-19, and tragically, we have lost 140 of them” since the start of the pandemic, health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said in televised remarks.
“We all owe them our lives and to honour them, we must observe health protocols.”
Iran has been battling a resurgence of the COVID-19 illness, with official figures showing a rise in both new infections and deaths since a two-month low in May.
President Hassan Rohani also urged them to respect health regulations, in particular social distancing.
“We ask the people to avoid all gatherings and to adapt the way of life to the current situation” imposed by the virus, he said during a televised cabinet meeting Wednesday.
