Iran has announced new curbs to combat the spread of Covid-19 as deaths and infections surge and as the country tries to speed up its vaccination campaign.

Hit by the Middle East's deadliest outbreak, Iran has officially recorded more than 97,000 deaths and over 4.38 million infections, with numbers breaking daily records several times this month, according to an AFP report.

Iran's national coronavirus taskforce announced that government offices, banks and non-essential businesses must close their doors countrywide from Monday until the end of next Saturday.

A ban on car travel between provinces will be in force from noon on Sunday until August 27, taskforce spokesman Alireza Raisi told IRNA state news agency.