TEHRAN – Some 200,081 passengers have so far been screened for coronavirus by thermal tests at the country's official borders since March 10, Mehdi Valipour, head of Relief and Rescue Organization affiliated to the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), has stated.

During the aforesaid period, IRCS forces have screened 200,081 passengers for COVID-19, 10,028 of whom with symptoms underwent PCR and 31,558 rapid tests, he said, IRNA reported on Saturday.

He went on to lament that some 55 individuals, who tested positive, have so far been temporarily quarantined, under a plan to rapidly identify suspected cases of coronavirus and prevent the spread of new UK strain.

Some 431 members of the IRCS cooperate for carrying out the plan in 16 provinces across the country, Valipour concluded.

With the cooperation of ministries of health and transport, a plan is being implemented with the goal of rapidly identifying and testing incoming passengers and keeping them in quarantine facilities, if necessary.

Thirty border checkpoints have been selected, including 18 land borders, nine air borders, and three sea borders, all incoming passengers will be tested and referred to the quarantine facilities in case of necessity.

Around 8,000 individuals enter the country via borders on a daily basis.

New cases and mortalities

In a press briefing on Saturday Health Ministry’s spokesperson, Sima-Sadat Lari, confirmed 18,230 new cases of COVID-19 infection, raising the total number of infections to 2,377,039. She added that 1,863,405 patients have so far recovered, but 5,156 remain in critical conditions of the disease.

During the past 24 hours, 374 patients have lost their lives, bringing the total number of deaths to 69,120, she added.

So far, 15,078,540 COVID-19 diagnostic tests have been performed in the country.

FB/MG