TEHRAN – The Health Ministry announced on Tuesday that Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has agreed to a proposal by the ministry to consider “as martyrs” the medical staff, including physicians and nurses, who have lost their lives in the efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

So far, 13 doctors and nurses have died from the virus.

In a news briefing on Tuesday, the Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour announced that the number of people who have died from the coronavirus in Iran has risen to 291 and the confirmed cases contracted the virus to 8,042.

At least 2,731 people have also recovered from the disease so far, the spokesman added.

MJ/PA