Iran's coronavirus death toll has topped 50,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Why it matters: The grim milestone comes two weeks after the country imposed restrictions in its major cities, which aimed to slow the spread of the virus and daily death toll.
- On Friday, Iran saw a COVID-related death count of 347, per JHU, compared to its highest daily toll of 486 on Nov. 16 — prior to when the partial lockdown was put in place.
What they're saying: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Saturday that if people do not follow the required health measures, restrictions may increase.
- "Care should not be neglected in the hope of vaccination," Rouhani added. "Those who violate the quarantine period must be dealt with decisively."
By the numbers: Since the restrictions went into effect on Nov. 21, Iran's total cases to date have increased to 1,028,986. Daily positive cases peaked to 14,051 on Nov. 27.
