Iran says comes close to containing COVID-19 in most provinces: minister

Iran has got closer to the containment of the COVID-19 outbreak in most of the country's provinces, Minister of Health and Medical Education Saeed Namaki said on Friday.

"Despite circumstances arising from sanctions and economic warfare, no patient was left abandoned behind hospital doors and no patient lacked needed drugs and medical care during the peak of the virus across cities," Namaki was quoted as saying by Press TV.

He said that Iran's virus response was developed on scientific models and years of past experience in "eradicating infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, polio, measles, mumps and tetanus."

The Iranian minister noted that his country will gradually reopen businesses and lift restrictive measures, adding that if the ministry concludes that the reopening of businesses is resulting in "any negative impact on managing the disease, we will swiftly demand a re-imposition of restrictions."

Iran on Friday reported 1,499 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 79,494, including 4,958 deaths.