One of Iran’s vice presidents, Masoumeh Ebtekar, has been infected with coronavirus, state media reported on Thursday, as the Islamic Republic reported one of the highest numbers of fatalities from the virus outside of China.
Iranian authorities said on Thursday that the death toll in the country from coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, had reached 26, with 245 identified patients, including a number of senior politicians.
She is the second member of the Iranian government known to be infected, after deputy health minister Iraj Harirshi, originally tasked with containing the spread of the virus, tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.
Earlier that day, the country’s Health Ministry said the number of people who have died from the coronavirus in Iran has risen to 26.
Other Iranian officials infected with the virus include the country’s deputy health minister, Iraj Harirchi, and MP Mojtabi Zolnour.
Zolnour, who is also the chairman of the foreign affairs committee in parliament, announced in a Twitter video that he has tested positive for the virus.
A total of 245 people across the country have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said, representing a jump of 110 from the day before.
Fifty-four patients are said to have recovered and have been been sent back to their homes.