March 23, 2020 - 22:07 AMT
Covid-19: Latest updates from Armenia, Georgia, Iran and region

The novel coronavirus has been rapidly spreading worldwide, including in Armenia and neighboring countries and the region in general. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Armenia reached 194 as of Sunday, March 22 evening. No new cases have been registered in the past 24 hours as the laboratory used for the analysis of tests was closed down for final disinfection. The numbers will thus be updated on Tuesday morning. Two patients have recovered from the disease so far.

Neighboring Turkey on Sunday confirmed nine more deaths from COVID-19, as the total number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 1,236. 30 people have died from the virus in the Muslim nation. Also, Turkey to begin mass production of respirators amid coronavirus pandemic, 300,000 quick test kits to arrive from China by Thursday," Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said late Monday, Daily Sabah says.

Georgia confirmed seven new cases of the coronavirus infection on Monday, bringing up the total number in the country to 61, Agenda.ge reveals. Health officials said eight patients had so far recovered and been discharged.

In Azerbaijan, access to the capital Baku and the city of Sumgayit has been limited. The country has 72 cases of the virus, and one person has died, Emerging Europe says.

Iran’s death toll from the new coronavirus has increased to 1,812, with 127 new deaths in the past 24 hours, a health ministry spokesman told state TV on Monday, adding that the country’s total number of infected people has reached 23,049. According to a report from Reuters, Kianush Jahanpur said that in the past 24 hours, some 1,411 Iranians had been infected with the virus across the Islamic Republic, which has the worst outbreak in the Middle East.

Russia confirmed 71 new coronavirus infections on March 23, bringing the country’s official number of cases up to 438, as the country widened its ban on international flights, RFE/RL says. Nearly 20,000 Russian citizens have been evacuated from countries suffering from a high number of coronavirus cases.