UPDATE - Death toll in Iran from coronavirus rises to 19

UPDATE WITH FRESH DEATH TOLL, NUMBER OF CONFIRMED CASES

By Muhammet Kursun

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) - Four more people in Iran have died of the coronavirus, bringing the death toll in the country to 19, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

Kianoush Jahanpour, a Health Ministry spokesman, said there were 44 new confirmed cases of the virus registered over the past 24 hours.

He said the total number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 139, with the cities of Qom and Gilan most affected by the coronavirus.

Iran's neighbors have closed their borders to the country amid mounting concerns over the spread of the virus.

The coronavirus has sounded global alarm, with China reporting 2,717 deaths on Wednesday and more than 78,000 confirmed cases.

Outside mainland China, the coronavirus has spread to more than 30 other countries including the U.S., the U.K., Singapore, France, Russia, Spain and India.

The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak an international health emergency.

* Writing by Fahri Aksut