Iran virus deaths top 5,000: ministry

Iran on Saturday announced 73 new deaths from the coronavirus, raising the official toll to 5,031 as the government allowed small businesses to reopen in Tehran as they already have in the provinces.

It was the seventh day that the number of deaths in the previous 24 hours had fallen.

It was also the fifth straight day that the number of new deaths had stayed in double figures, ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour told a news conference. "This (73) is a very low number compared to recent days," he said, hoping the downward trend would continue.

Jahanpour said the "small victory" against the coronavirus had been won despite "enmities" towards Iran.

He claimed that US sanctions had prevented Iran from buying virus testing kits from South Korea, but gve no further details.

"This is despite all their false claims that trade in medicines is not covered by the sanctions," he said.

"The world will judge such actions."