ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran on Wednesday agreed on joint efforts to cope with the threat of novel coronavirus, ARY News reported.
The resolve came during a telephonic conversation between Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Iranian counterpart Jawad Zarif.
Expressing his deep sorrow and grief over causalities from novel coronavirus in Iran, FM offered Tehran full support to cope with the outbreak of Coronavirus.
On the occasion, FM Qureshi thanked his Iranian counterpart for highlighting the plight of oppressed Kashmiris.
Read More: Coronavirus: Iran calls on people to stay at home as death toll rises to 43
Earlier on March 1, deaths in Iran from coronavirus had hit 43, the highest number outside China, and the total number of infected people had risen to 593, according to Iranian health official.
The country was at the epicenter of the outbreak in the region, with several countries in the Middle East reporting cases of the coronavirus stemming from Iran.
“Unfortunately nine people died of the virus in the last 24 hours, increasing the death toll to 43,” Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur had told state TV, calling on people to stay at home.
Health Minister Saeed Namaki on Friday warned of “a very difficult week” ahead in Iran, which only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19 and where the death rate among confirmed cases has been around 10%, compared to around 3% elsewhere.
