TEHRAN - Masoumeh Ebtekar, Iran’s vice president for women’s affairs, has also been diagnosed with coronavirus

According to her deputy, she has quarantined herself at home.

Ebtekar was at least the seventh Iranian official to test positive for coronavirus.

Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi was the first official who tested positive for the virus.

Iran now appears to have the highest number of officials infected by the coronavirus in the world.

Mojtaba Zolnour, a senior lawmaker in the Iranian Parliament, along with three more MPs have been infected by the virus.

Mojtaba Zolnour represents the shrine city of Qom with the highest number of coronavirus fatalities.  

On Thursday, Iran's former Ambassador to Vatican Hadi Khosroshahi died of the novel coronavirus infection.

Khosroshahi had been admitted to Tehran's Masih Daneshvari hospital.

The virus first emerged in China 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. This is while free masks are being distributed among the people, with priority given to cities that have reported coronavirus cases.

According to the latest data, totally 388 Iranian nationals have been infected by the virus, out of which 34 patients have lost their lives.

According to the Health Ministry, general health condition of a sum of 73 infected patients has grown better.

The virus has affected 24 provinces of the country.

MJ/PA