TEHRAN - The Army ground force commander has expressed satisfaction about the ongoing campaign against coronavirus outbreak across the country, vowing to use the force's full capacities to counter the epidemic.

Brigadier General Kiomars Heidari made the remarks in his visit to the production lines of face masks and anti-infection clothes by the Army.

The commander went on to say that his force is with people and is resolved to prove its loyalty to the motto that "the army is willing to sacrifice forces for the people".

"We have set up a number of workshops to produce more cosmetic products in different provinces of Kermanshah, Ilam, Tehran, Golestan and Khuzestan. The workshops are producing 10,000 face masks each working day," he added.

The commander said that the army special units have started sanitizing public places across the country.

On Sunday, the general said that the ground force's experts have built test kits to diagnose coronavirus.

He said, “Our experts working for the Army’s self-sufficiency department have planned and built several unique equipment which should go under test by the Health Ministry. If everything goes well the equipment will be a great achievement in rapid diagnosis of the novel coronavirus.”

He further said, “One of the army’s capabilities, which was unveiled in the ceremony today, was turning anti-bacterial liquids into fog to spray it over vast regions.”

“We enjoy anti-pollution systems which are currently utilized by our forces across the country,” the commander said, adding, “According to the pre-planned program, the Army’s Ground Force is in charge of sanitizing hospitals and medical centers in Tehran.”

The virus first emerged in China in December last year and is now spreading in Europe and across the Middle East, sparking fears of a global pandemic. The virus is spreading rapidly in the region, with cases recorded in many countries.

The Iranian authorities have ordered the closure of schools, universities and cultural events in a bid to contain the outbreak.

According to the Health Ministry’s latest official data, totally 1501 Iranian nationals have been infected by the virus, out of which 66 patients have lost their lives.

It added that 291 patients have been cured and returned to normal life.

The virus has affected 27 out of 30 provinces in Iran.