ANKARA

A total of 802 more people in Iran tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the lowest daily number of coronavirus cases in 54 days, bringing the total infections to 96,448, health officials said on Saturday.

The death toll in Iran from coronavirus surged to 6,156, as 65 new deaths were reported over the past 24 hours, Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said in statement.

Jahanpour said 77,350 people have recovered so far and been discharged from hospitals, while 2,787 other patients are in critical condition.

A total of 484,541 tests have been done in the country, he added.

In Iran, one of the Mideast countries hardest hit by the pandemic, COVID-19 was first detected in the city of Qom on Feb. 19, and then spread throughout the country.

The government did not impose a total lockdown as seen in many other countries, but did close educational institutions and banned cultural, religious, and sports gatherings.

Authorities, meanwhile, have in phases since April 11 allowed the reopening of businesses closed as part of measures to contain the spread of the virus.

The state also plans to reopen mosques in parts of the country that have been consistently free of the virus.

COVID-19 cases have been reported in 187 countries and regions since it emerged in Wuhan, China last December, with the US and Europe the hardest-hit areas.

More than 3.35 million cases have been reported worldwide, with the death toll nearing 239,000 and more than 1 million recoveries, according to data compiled by the US’ Johns Hopkins University.