Press TV - The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps has opened three field hospitals in northern and southern Iranian provinces in line with efforts to fight the spreading outbreak of the novel coronavirus, a senior IRGC commander says.

"Given the outbreak of the coronavirus in the country and people's need to have access to health and medical centers, two hospitals that contain 30-40 beds have started their work in the city of Borazjan [in the southern Bushehr Province] and a 54-bed mobile hospital in [the southern port city of] Bandar Abbas," IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri said on Saturday.

He added that another 74-bed mobile hospital has opened in the northern city of Rasht and noted that the hospital's capacity can be increased to 120 beds in order to provide more services to confirmed coronavirus patients.

The commander emphasized that the IRGC is "fully ready" to provide assistance to the people, set up hospitals with necessary facilities and render medical services to people in different parts of the country.

Tangsiri further said that various IRGC units have so far carried out measures in many cities to contain the disease, including disinfection in public places, stressing that such moves would be continued to eradicate the disease.

Kianoush Jahanpour, the head of the public relations and information center of the Iranian Ministry of Health, said Saturday the new coronavirus has claimed 97 lives in the past 24 hours, taking the overall death toll to 611.

Jahanpour added that 1,365 fresh cases have been added to the number of the confirmed infections during the period, bringing the total to 12,729.

More than 4,300 of those with confirmed infections have recovered so far, he added.

In an edict to Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri on Thursday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei emphasized the need for the establishment of a �health and treatment base� to prevent further spread of the ongoing epidemic in the country.

�While commending the services that the Armed Forces have so far provided to the dear people [of Iran], and while emphasizing the need for those services to further expand and continue, it is necessary that these services be organized in the form of a health and treatment base,� the Leader wrote in his edict.

�In addition to establishing such treatment facilities as field hospitals and infirmaries, and so forth, you must focus on prevention of further spread of this disease through necessary means as well,� Ayatollah Khamenei added.

Major General Baqeri on Friday said Iran�s security forces will begin to clear shops, streets and roads nationwide within 24 hours.

"Over the next one week to 10 days, the entire Iranian nation will be monitored once through cyberspace, by phone and, if necessary, in person, and those suspected of the disease will be identified," the top military commander said.

Foreign Ministry holds meeting on ways to reduce coronavirus-originated problems

The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Saturday held a meeting, chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy Gholam-Reza Ansari, on examining ways to reduce problems caused by the coronavirus outbreak through global interactions.

Participants at the meeting discussed possible avenues to accelerate receiving medical supplies from other countries and international organizations and addressed �the problems caused in the way of cross-border commuting.

They also exchanged views about issues pertaining to the Iranian nationals living abroad and students studying in other countries and emphasized that such problems should be seriously pursued by the Islamic Republic's embassies.

China ready to provide Iran with assistance against COVID-19: President Xi

Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping said his country will continue to provide as much assistance as it can for Iran in its fight against the COVID-19 outbreak.

In a message recently sent to Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, Xi expressed heartfelt sympathies to the Iranian government and people over the epidemic on behalf of the Chinese government and people.

He said Tehran and Beijing are strategic partners and their people enjoy a traditional friendship and added that the Iranian government and people have provided sincere and friendly support and help for China's fight against the epidemic.

The Chinese president noted that China has offered Iran a batch of anti-epidemic supplies and sent a team of voluntary health experts to help Iran beat the virus.

He said China stands ready to step up cooperation with Iran to contain the epidemic and expressed confidence that the Iranian government and people will surely win the battle against the outbreak.

The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a "pandemic" as the virus is increasingly spreading worldwide.