Iran announced on Sunday its highest single-day death toll from the coronavirus with 251 confirmed dead, AP reports.

Health Ministry spokesperson Sima Sadat Lari said this pushes the total confirmed death toll to 28,544, making it the hardest-hit country in the region.

A further 3,822 new cases were confirmed over the past 24 hour-period, raising total nationwide recorded cases to 500,075. Nearly 4,509 patients are in critical condition.