People wearing masks walk on a promenade, amid a rise in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections, in Tehran, Iran, Oct. 23, 2020. Photo: Majid Asgaripour / WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters.

Iran, battling a third wave of the coronavirus, is considering imposing a two-week total lockdown in the capital, state media reported, as its death toll from the disease rose by 461 to 40,582 on Friday.

Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV that Iran, the Middle East country worst hit by COVID-19, had identified 11,737 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, taking the total number to 738,322.

Iranian media said discussions were underway among government and health officials to impose a two-week total lockdown in Tehran, which could be announced as early as Saturday.

On Tuesday, the government imposed restrictions for one month requiring all non-essential businesses to close at 6 p.m. in major cities.