Iran reports 49 new coronavirus deaths, highest single-day toll

Medical staff in protective gear wait for Iraqi passengers returning from Iran at Najaf International Airport on March 5, 2020. - Iraqi health authorities announced the country's first two deaths from the new coronavirus, one in the capital Baghdad and th

Iran's health ministry on Sunday reported 49 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, the highest toll within 24 hours since the start of the outbreak in the Islamic republic.

The new count brings the number of those killed by the virus in the country since mid-February to 194, one of the highest tolls outside of China, where the disease originated. The virus has spread to all of Iran's 31 provinces with 6,566 confirmed cases.