Tasnim � Iranian Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpoor said on Sunday that the total number of coronavirus cases in the country has reached 38,309.

With 123 new deaths in the past 24 hours, the death toll from the virus has reached 2,640. Unfortunately, we had 2,901 new cases since yesterday,� Jahanpoor said on state TV.

He also put the number of those who have so far recovered from the viral infection at 12,391.

The ministry spokesman said on Saturday that the country was developing a treatment method that could help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, with the help of stem cells.

The coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan, China, has infected over 672,000 people around the world. The global death toll from the pandemic is now more than 31,000.