TEHRAN 

Iran on Sunday confirmed 72 more fatalities from the novel coronavirus over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 8,291.

A further 2,364 people tested positive for COVID-19, raising the overall count to 171,789, Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said.

According to the spokesman, 134,349 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals so far, while 2,596 patients remain in critical condition.

Iran's daily number of COVID-19 cases dropped to around 800 in early May, but daily figures show an upward trend in recent days after authorities took measures to ease restrictions.

Despite the rising number of infections, government employees have resumed work, and mosques reopened across the Middle Eastern country. Shopping malls are now open also after 6 p.m.

The pandemic has claimed more than 400,0000 lives in 188 countries and regions since originating in China last December. The US, Brazil and Russia are currently the world’s worst-hit countries.

Over 6.91 million cases have been reported worldwide, while more than 3.09 million people have recovered so far, according to figures compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins University.