Iran has released approximately 70,000 prisoners because of the novel coronavirus outbreak, Iranian judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi said on Monday, as the country announced new deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.
"The release of the prisoners, to the point where it doesn't create insecurity in society ... will continue," Raisi said, according to Mizan, the news site of the judiciary.
He did not specify if or when those released would need to return to jail.
Iran has had 237 deaths from coronavirus and 7,161 infections, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpour said on state TV on Monday.
The figures included 595 new infections and 43 new deaths within the past 24 hours.
Jahanpour said the rate of new infections was dropping "but it is still too early to judge" when the outbreak could be brought under control.
With 1,945 cases, the capital Tehran remains the province with the most cases, according to the official.
Iran has had one of the highest death rates from the illness outside of China, where the virus originated in December.
