TEHRAN – A total of 187 passengers, who had tested positive, have so far been temporarily quarantined under a plan to rapidly identify suspected cases of coronavirus and prevent the spread of new strains.

More than 481,000 passengers have also been screened for coronavirus by thermal tests at the country's official borders since March 10, Mehdi Valipour, Mohammad-Hassan Qosian-Moqaddam, a spokesman to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, said on Friday.

To date, 48,115 PCR tests and 67,780 rapid tests have been conducted, he added, IRNA reported.

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.

Twenty-eight land, air, and sea border checkpoints have been selected, and 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.

MG