Turkey closes Iran border as virus precaution

Turkey temporarily closed its land border with Iran on Sunday over fears the virus outbreak could reach the country.

The country's Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said flights from Iran would not be allowed to travel to Turkey from 8pm local time (1700GMT).

Road and rail crossings between the two nations were shut three hours earlier, according to Koca.

Iran has recorded at least eight deaths relating to COVID-19 as well as 43 confirmed cases.

Turkey is yet to record a case of the coronavirus discovered in China in late 2019.