Virus precautions increased at Azerbaijan-Iran border

The State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan has strengthened measures at checkpoints on the border with Iran to limit the spread of the new virus.

Earlier on Monday work at the Bilasuvar and Astara customs posts was suspended due to sanitary and disinfection operations.

According to officials, people crossing the border from the Iranian side had to undergo health screening without entering the administrative building.

Also on Monday, Azerbaijan issued a statement urging its citizens to refrain from visiting Iran.

The new virus was taking aim at a broadening swath of the globe, with officials in Europe and the Middle East scrambling to limit the spread of an outbreak that showed signs of stabilizing at its Chinese epicenter but posed new threats far beyond.

In Iran, a report of dozens of deaths in a single city emerged as infections were reported to have spread for the first time to Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Afghanistan.