TEHRAN – Iran’s flag carrier Iran Air has announced it will operate an extraordinary flight to return Iranians living in Vienna, Austria, amid COVID-19 pandemic, IRNA news agency reported on Friday.

Following the coordination of the Iranian and Austrian government officials, Iranians who applied to return to their country will be brought back on Saturday evening, according to the public relations office of Iran Air.

The number of people diagnosed with coronavirus in Iran reached 269,440 on Friday, of whom 13,791 have died and 232,873 recovered so far. Over the past 24 hours, 2,379 new cases of people having the virus have been identified, and 183 died, Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said.

Currently, 3,509 patients with coronavirus are in critical condition, she added.

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