Tasnim � The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) on Tuesday started a major plan to screen people for the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in the exit routes of 13 provinces of the country.

According to a notice issued by the IRCS on Tuesday, all the exit routes of the 13 provinces, namely Tehran, Qazvin, Razavi Khorasan, Gilan, Golestan, Mazandaran, Qom, Markazi, Isfahan, Semnan, Hamedan, Alborz and Lorestan, will be monitored for coronavirus cases.

All citizens who are suspected of being infected with COVID-19 will be prevented from leaving and will be quarantined for 14 days, the IRCS said.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society urged the compatriots to avoid any unnecessary trips and cooperate with its personnel.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Iran rose to 14,991 on Monday, of whom nearly 5,000 have recovered and left the hospital, according to the Health Ministry.

Speaking at a daily press conference on Monday, Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoosh Jahanpoor said the death toll from COVID-19 in Iran has risen to 853.

Medical staffs in all 31 provinces of Iran have been working tirelessly over the past weeks to contain the novel coronavirus.

First detected in Wuhan city in central China in December, the virus has spread to more than 140 countries.

More than 182,000 have been infected globally, according to the WHO. Of those, about 80,000 have recovered.