FNA - Iran's Judiciary Spokesman Gholamhossein Esmayeeli announced on Tuesday that temporary leaves have been authorized for 95,000 prisoners to prevent the outbreak of the new coronavirus in jails across the country in the last several months.

“An overall 95,000 inmates have been furloughed for coronavirus concerns,” Esmayeeli told reporters in a press conference in Tehran.

He added that nearly 87,000 prisoners have been furloughed since June 8 after the second wave of coronavirus outbreak in Iran, noting that many of those who have used this possibility have been freed or their furloughs have been extended.

Esmayeeli also blasted the US and European countries for not authorizing furloughs for their prisoners despite being harshly hit by coronavirus, voicing concern about the situation of Iranian inmates imprisoned in these countries’ jails.

The Iranian health ministry announced on Monday that 2,245 new cases of coronavirus infection have been identified across the country during the past 24 hours, noting that 133 patients have lost their lives in the same period.

“2,245 new patients infected with COVID-19 have been identified in the country based on confirmed diagnosis criteria during the past 24 hours and 1,132 patients have been hospitalized,” Iranian Health Ministry Spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Monday

She added that the total number of the COVID-19 patients increased to 361,150.

“Unfortunately, 133 patients have passed away in the past 24 hours, increasing the number of the dead to 20,776, and 3,848 patients are in critical conditions,” the spokeswoman added.

She expressed pleasure that 311,365 cases infected with coronavirus have recovered or been discharged from hospitals.

The spokeswoman further said that 3,062,422 COVID-19 diagnosis tests have so far been conducted across the country.

Sadat Lari warned that 26 provinces are still in red conditions or the status of alert.