TEHRAN — Iran on Tuesday recorded a new single-day record death toll of 229 from the novel coronavirus, after weeks of rising numbers in the Middle East’s worst-hit country.

“Sadly, we lost 229 of our compatriots to the COVID-19 infection in the past 24 hours,” health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said.

“This raises the overall toll to 14,634,” she said in televised remarks.

She said 2,625 new COVID-19 cases were recorded during the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 278,827.

Out of the new patients, 1,977 were hospitalized, said Lari.

So far, there have been 242,351 recoveries, while 3,589 still remain in critical condition, she added.

The health spokeswoman noted that 2.2 million lab tests for COVID-19 have been carried out in Iran as of Tuesday.

She said 25 provinces, out of 31, are either in high-risk or alert condition over the disease.

The republic has been battling a resurgence of the virus, with official figures showing a rise in both new infections and deaths since a two-month low in May.

Iran reported its first cases in Qom in February.

The rising toll has prompted authorities to make masks mandatory in enclosed public spaces and to allow the hardest-hit provinces to reimpose restrictive measures, with Tehran included.

Iran closed schools, cancelled public events and banned movements between its provinces in March, but gradually lifted restrictions from April to try to reopen its sanctions-hit economy. — Agencies