Iran's COVID-19 cases near 170,000

Iran, on Saturday, confirmed 75 more fatalities from the novel coronavirus over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 8,209.

A further 2,269 people tested positive for the virus, raising the overall count to 169,425, Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said.

Jahanpour said 130,300 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals so far, while 2,578 patients remain in critical condition.

Some 1.06 million tests have been conducted in the country so far, according to the spokesman.

The country's daily number of COVID-19 cases dropped to around 800 in early May, but daily figures show an upward trend in recent days after authorities took measures to ease restrictions.

Despite the rising number of cases, government employees have resumed work, and mosques reopened across the Middle Eastern country.