Iran announced another 135 deaths from the novel coronavirus, bringing the overall toll to 988 in one of the world's worst-hit countries, AFP reported.

"Reports by more than 56 laboratories indicated that we have had 1,178 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection in the past 24 hours," health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said in a televised news conference.

"This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 16,169 as of today noon,”"he added.