IRNA � Deputy Health Minister of Iran Ali-Reza Raeesi said on Monday that the Chinese citizens need to have a clean health card when entering Iran.

Raeesi said that Iran has not reached the emergency phase for coronavirus, but "we need to be careful".

He said that based on scientific principles the personnel of the Health Ministry monitor passengers so as not to let the virus enter the country, but there is no need to wear special clothes because people may become worried.

"More than 2,783 people have been infected by the virus and more than 81 people have already died. It has already been detected in Canada, France, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan and it is expected that up to 100,000 people have been infected," Raeesi added.

Raeesi said that the genome of the virus is about 70 percent similar to that of the SARS virus. However, its pathogenesis is three times more but fatality is about one-third or one-fourth of SARS.

He also said that there are about 220-270 people on each flight coming from China. Suspicious people are taken to hospitals and isolated. Having edibles is also banned for flights coming from China.