MNA – Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said that Iran has sent an official noted to the United Arab Emirates over the concerning situation of prisons in UAE which are reportedly being hit by COVID-19 outbreak.

“Our representatives have handed an official noted to the UAE government in which they have voiced concern over sanitary conditions of prisons in which Iranian detainees are being held,” the spokesman told Mehr News Agency on Tuesday.

“We have to wait for the answer, but I should highlight that our representatives are following up on the case and trying to improve the situation,” he added.

The remarks come as reports received by Mehr News Agency indicate that some 150 individuals have contracted the novel coronavirus in prisons and the UAE government doesn’t allow proper treatment of patients.

According to the latest figures provided by Worldometer, more than 42,000 people have been infected with COVID-19 in the United Arab Emirates while the death toll is standing at 291.