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CORONAVIRUS: Iran’s health minister tests positive, Croatia confirms first case

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CORONAVIRUS: Iran's health minister tests positive, Croatia confirms first case

The deputy health minister of Iran, Iraj Harirchi has tested positive to the deadly outbreak of coronavirus which has quickly spread across the globe with local health officials confirming the death of 15 people.

A ministry official said that Iran’s deputy health minister has been infected with the new coronavirus, amid a major outbreak in the Islamic republic.

“The coronavirus test for Mr Harirchi, the deputy health minister who was on the front lines combating the coronavirus, was positive,” Alireza Vahabzadeh, a media adviser to the health minister, said in a tweet on Tuesday.

READ ALSO: Window of opportunity to stem coronavirus outbreak ‘narrowing’ —WHO

According to a report by the semi-official ILNA news agency, the 15 people who died were among 95 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country as the outbreak has now infected more than 80,000 globally, killing at least 2,700.

In a related development, Croatia has confirmed its first case of coronavirus infection in a patient hospitalised in the capital Zagreb, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has said.

“The patient is in the Zagreb clinic for infectious diseases. It is a younger person and has milder symptoms. He is in isolation and his condition is good at the moment,” Plenkovic told a news conference.

Health Minister Vili Beros said that the patient had stayed in Milan from February 19 to 21.

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