More than 2,000 additional confirmed coronavirus cases have pushed the total number of infections to 173,832, Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour was quoted as saying by ISNA.
Deaths from the pandemic rose to 8,351, up by 70 from a day earlier.
Government Spokesman Ali Rabiei discussed the respiratory disease in his weekly briefing, pointing out that there is no timeframe for the end of the outbreak.
“Even in advanced countries, the virus has impacted economic growth and brought to the fore issues related to unemployment and poverty.”
On the reopening of public places previously under lockdown, Rabiei said none of the coronavirus taskforce’s decisions implies a return to normality.
“In the new phase of tackling Covid-19, we have adopted a policy based on strict supervision and control, alongside resumption of economic activities,” he said.
While almost all businesses and places of gatherings are up and running in Iran, the coronavirus taskforce has persuaded businesses to adhere to safety orders issued by the Health Ministry.
“In place of strict quarantine measures, the government is investing in public health infrastructure,” Rabiei said.
Among the steps taken by President Hassan Rouhani’s administration is a plan to increase the number of health centers, ICU beds and CT scanners throughout the country.
Government measures include adding 800 laboratories to the current 1,200 and sending medical experts to Iran’s underdeveloped areas.
According to Jahanpour, the tally of recovered patients rose above 136,000 on Monday. Nearly 2,600 are in critical condition.
Iran has carried out 1.107 million diagnostic tests to identify the infected people.
Jahanpour said Khuzestan Province is still in a state of emergency. He named eight provinces as regions with alarming numbers of infection, located in western, southern and eastern Iran.
More than 3.4 million have recovered from the infectious disease worldwide, out of the 7.1 million who have contracted the virus.