Tasnim � Iran�s Judiciary Chief Hojatoleslam Ebrahim Raeisi ordered severe punishment for hoarding pharmaceutical and health products as Iranian organizations and government bodies are heavily engaged in efforts to contain the novel coronavirus outbreak.

In comments at a Monday meeting of the Supreme Judicial Council, the top Iranian judge ordered prosecutors across the country to mete out a harsh punishment against those hoarding healthcare products and medicine.

The health of people would never be up for bargain, Raeisi stressed, adding that hoarding medical commodities in the current circumstances is playing with the lives of people and could not be forgiven by any means.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Judiciary chief thanked the judicial officials for permitting the eligible prisoners to get furlough.

Last week, Raeisi ordered courts across the country to grant eligible prisoners leave for the new Iranian year�s holidays (March 20-April 3), as a precautionary measure to contain the coronavirus.

The Judiciary chief noted that prison furlough would help achieve the goals of �moral and social rehabilitation� of the inmates and is also necessary to protect the health of prisoners under the current circumstance following the outbreak of coronavirus in the country.

The death toll from the novel coronavirus epidemic in Iran rose to 54 on Sunday, and the total number of confirmed cases of infection reached 978.

The novel coronavirus has killed more than 3,000 people worldwide, the vast majority in mainland China. There have been more than 85,000 global cases, with infections on every continent except Antarctica.