Iran deputy health minister Harirchi tests positive for coronavirus; quarantined

Iran's deputy health minister has tested positive for coronavirus, the semi-official news agency ILNA reported on Tuesday. The spokesman for Iran's health ministry confirmed in an interview with state television that Deputy Minister Iraj Harirchi has been infected and is now under quarantine.

Iran has reported 16 coronavirus deaths, the most outside China, and said on Monday it had 61 confirmed cases and 900 other suspected cases.

According to the health ministry, most of the deaths and infections outside Qom are among people who have recently visited the holy city. The ministry's spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said 16 of the new cases were confirmed in Qom, while nine were in Tehran, and two each in Alborz, Gilan, and Mazandaran.

The virus appeared to be spreading to new parts of Iran, as one new case was also reported in each of the provinces of Fars and Khorasan Razavi, as well as Qeshm island. Despite being Iran's epicenter of the outbreak, Qom has yet to be quarantined.