Tasnim � Iran�s Minister of Science, Research and Technology assigned universities across the country to help the medical society in the fight against COVID-19, calling on genetics and biotechnology research teams to work on plans to contain the disease.

Mansour Gholami on Tuesday sent letters to the presidents of universities across Iran, stressing the need for science and technology parks and technological academic units to fulfill the country�s demands for equipment and services in the fight against the novel coronavirus.

Mentioning a list of �general and specialized� measures that the universities can take to prevent, control and treat the coronavirus disease, the minister assigned academic research teams to work in cooperation with the National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology on a broad range of issues.

Gholami further enumerated the overriding needs that should be dealt with by the universities, including development of vaccines with new methods, synthesis of medicines to prevent and cure COVID-19, manufacturing coronavirus diagnostic test kits, and carrying out studies on use of herbal medicine for the treatment of coronavirus patients.

The number of people tested positive for the coronavirus in Iran exceeded 8,000 on Tuesday after detection of 881 new cases.

The death toll from COVID-19 outbreak in the country has also risen to 291. Meanwhile, more than 2,700 coronavirus patients have recovered from the respiratory disease and discharged from hospitals so far.