Women wearing protective face masks shop at a bazaar, amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, in Tehran, Iran, July 8, 2020. Photo: WANA (West Asia News Agency) / Abdollah Heidari via Reuters.

Iran’s death toll from the new coronavirus surpassed 20,000 on Wednesday with 153 deaths in the past 24 hours, a Health Ministry spokeswoman told state TV, as the number of total cases hit 350,279.

“The death toll has reached 20,125 …With 2,444 new infections in the past 24 hours, the total number of cases has reached 350,279,” said Sima Sadat Lari.

Iran is one of the worst-hit countries from the outbreak in the Middle East.