Iran reports coronavirus deaths below 100 for second consecutive day

Iran's health ministry said 94 people died due to COVID-19 in the country in the last 24 hours with the death toll due to the virus climbing to 4,777.

The total infections in the country has now risen to 76,389. The government said 49,933 people who were hospitalised have recovered.

Although Iran hasn't lockdown the country, but it has shut schools and asked people to stay off the streets in a bid to combat the virus.

With the economy in doldrums due to the US sanction, President Rouhani said the country was fighting both the "disease and unemployment at the same time".

Iran had forecast that its economy would contract by 7.2 per cent in the year to March 21, however, its stock exchange has been rising even though the country's growth path has been largely hampered due to the virus and the US sanctions.

Iran has requested a $5 billion emergency loan from the International Monetary Fund to battle the coronavirus outbreak