Iran's coronavirus death toll has risen by 166 to 24,118, a health ministry spokeswoman told state TV on Saturday. The total number of identified cases spiked by 2,845 in the last 24 hours to 419,043 in Iran, one of the Middle East's worst-hit countries, spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari was quoted as saying. In addition, the Iranian health experts have cautioned that the country is still in the grip of a coronavirus pandemic. They warned the residents to follow health safety protocols like social distancing and wearing face masks. They added that the virus is more likely to affect the capital city of Tehran as compared to other provinces. Earlier in September, Iran opened the new school year after nearly seven months of closure. While addressing a video conference, President Hassan Rohani reportedly said that the education of 15 million students is as important as the health system. He reportedly urged the authorities to implement health measures in schools and educational institutions to the level of those in military garrisons. In the wake of the reopening of schools, many parents and medical experts expressed their concerns over the possibility of a surge in cases. Abbas Aghazadeh, a member of the board of the medical council said, "The national COVID-19 task force should defend lives of millions of students". Abbas Ali Dorsti, vice chancellor for health at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, warned that despite following every safety precaution, there has been an increase in travel and violations of health protocols by some people which resulted in rise of infection. According to the reports, businesses, schools, and colleges have reopened to shape up the economy and mark new normal. — Agencies
