Iran marks new record single-day Covid-19 infection tally

Iran reported a new record number of Covid-19 cases on Thursday, with 3,825 infections confirmed in the past 24 hours, according to official statistics.

The figure surpasses the previous record single-day case tally of 3,712, reported on September 22. 

The number of deaths per day linked to the disease have remained stable, according to Iranian authorities. 

"We have unfortunately lost 211 of our dear compatriots to the Covid-19 illness over the past 24 hours," health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said in a press briefing. 

The new fatalities bring the total number of deaths to 26,380, out of 461,044 cases recorded in the Islamic republic, which has been battling the Middle East's deadliest outbreak of the novel coronavirus since February. 

Criticising a "decline in compliance with health protocols" across the country, Lari reiterated a call for Iranians to observe regulations in place to stem the spread of the virus, in particular wearing masks where it is mandatory. 

"The trend toward a decline in mask use in recent weeks remains of deep concern for our colleagues within the health system," she said. 

Iran took various restrictive measures to stem the virus but stopped short of imposing a full lockdown to avoid deepening an economic crisis precipitated by the reimposition of heavy sanctions by the United States in 2018.