An Iranian member of parliament died after becoming infected with Coronavirus taking the country's overall toll to 54, according to official figures released on Sunday that showed the virus was spreading more rapidly. The death toll is highest outside China, and the total number of the infected has risen to 978. Several, including a vice president, the deputy health minister and five MPs, have tested positive for the virus as the outbreak forced the regime to close the parliament and impose internal travel bans. Tehran has also ordered the shutting of schools until Tuesday and extended the closure of universities and a ban on concerts and sports events for a week. Authorities have also banned visits to hospitals and nursing homes. Iran is at the center of the spread of the Coronavirus through the Middle East. Qatar and Oman both reported their first cases on Saturday, both linked to travel from Iran. The UAE suspended nursery classes and school trips. Saudi Arabia is now the only Gulf Arab state not to have reported any cases of the Coronavirus, but pharmacies in the Kingdom are nevertheless struggling to meet the demand for face masks. In Iran, health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour told a televised news conference that 11 people lost their lives in the past 24 hours. He added that testing across the country showed there were 385 new cases. It was the highest number of new cases for the third successive day in the republic. "Fortunately, along with the not-so-good news that we hear these days, especially in some provinces, we've had a total of 175 cases of those who have been treated and left the hospital," Jahanpour said. The biggest jump in newly reported cases was in Tehran province, where 170 people tested positive for the virus. Forty-four new cases were reported in the central province of Markazi and 31 in northern Alborz province. Thirty were reported in the Shiite city of Qom, the epicenter of the country's outbreak where its first two novel Coronavirus deaths were announced on Feb. 19. There were 28 in the province Gilan, on the Caspian Sea in the country's northeast, 17 in northeastern Khorasan Razavi and eight in southern Fars province. — Agencies
