President Rouhani says about half of Iran’s state workers are staying home

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday about half of all government employees were staying at home as part of measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

Another measure to contain the outbreak, the temporary release of prisoners, will be extended until the end of the current Iranian month of Farvardin, about April 18, he said, according to state TV.

Iran is one of the hardest hit countries outside China. The country’s death toll from the coronavirus outbreak increased by 122 in the past 24 hours to 1,934, Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said on Tuesday.

The total number of people diagnosed with the disease increased by 1,762 in the past 24 hours, to 24,811, Reuters quoted him as saying.