JEDDAH: Iranian authorities have admitted for the first time that their official figures for coronavirus cases do not reflect the true scale of the outbreak.

The admission came as Iran’s daily death toll from COVID-19 again set a record, with 337 fatalities on Monday. The previous high was 279, last Wednesday.

More than 30,000 people have now died from COVID-19 in Iran, and the total number of cases rose on Monday by 4,251 to 534,631.

The real numbers were higher than officially reported, Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi said, primarily due to “testing and reporting protocols.”

Iran was slow to respond to the initial outbreak at the beginning of the year, when clerics encouraged pilgrims to visit religious sites in Mashhad and Qom despite evidence that the virus was already spreading, and it is now the worst affected country in the Middle East.

“In recent days, we have witnessed an unprecedented increase in mortality from the disease,” Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Monday.

“The current situation is the result of neglecting to comply with health protocols, reduced use of masks and dangerous social behavior in recent weeks.”

The government has extended restrictions and closures in Tehran, where schools, mosques, shops, restaurants and other public institutions have been closed since Oct. 3. Health officials have warned that daily deaths could hit 600 if Iranians fail to adhere to health protocols.

Mask-wearing has became compulsory in public in Tehran, where the infection rate has been highest, and there are fines for non-compliance. Authorities plan to impose the same restrictions in other large cities with high infection rates.