Iran issues int'l travel ban on government officials

ANKARA

Iran on Wednesday banned government officials from leaving the country until further notice as the novel coronavirus continues to spread across the country, local media reported.

Iran's Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri instructed officials to remain within the country's borders to prevent further the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency.

All government officials except Foreign Ministry personnel will be barred traveling abroad to attend international conferences and events until further notice, according to the report.

Officials will be able to leave the country only with Jahangiri's permission and will go through the necessary health checks upon return.

The death toll from the new coronavirus in Iran has climbed to 92, according to the latest Health Ministry figures.

Fifteen more people have died from the disease, with 586 new cases reported across the country in the last 24 hours, ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said at a news conference in the capital Tehran.

The latest figure brought the total number of infections to over 2,900, Jahanpour said.

* Writing by Zehra Nur Duz