MNA – In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in Iran, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has called for the Iranian nation to avoid unnecessary travel.

He has urged the Iranian nation to follow the instructions issued by the country's health officials to combat and beat the lethal virus.

As of Tuesday, the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak, officially known as COVID-19, in Iran has risen to 988 with 16,169 confirmed cases.

Iran’s Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said on Tuesday that 1,178 more cases have tested positive with the virus in the past 24 hours, increasing the total number of infections in Iran to 16,169.

Jahanpour also stressed that the only way to defeat the outbreak is to stay at home and avoid unnecessary travels.