Coronavirus: Iran makes masks compulsory from July 5

Iran said on Sunday it will make mask-wearing mandatory in public from next week as it confirmed 144 more fatalities from the novel coronavirus, bringing the nationwide death toll to 10,508, Anadolu agency reports.

A further 2,489 people tested positive for COVID-19, raising the overall count to 222,669, Health Ministry spokesperson Sima Sadat Lari said.

She added that a total of 183,301 people have recovered, and been discharged from hospitals so far, adding that 2,946 patients remain in critical condition.

Over 1.6 million tests have been conducted in the Middle Eastern country to date, according to the spokesperson.