TEHRAN — Iran hit another single-day record for coronavirus deaths as the country grapples with a sharp spike in cases.

The Health Ministry reported Sunday that 434 people had died in 24 hours from the virus, bringing Iran's death toll in the pandemic to more than 35,000.

The ministry said it recorded 7,719 new confirmed infections since Saturday. Iran has reported more than 620,000 confirmed virus cases in all.

Most deaths have occurred in the capital, Tehran, which is also the most populated city in Iran. The head of the virology department at Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran, Alireza Naji, warned that Iran could reach 900 confirmed coronavirus deaths per day if more restrictions on movement and gatherings are not imposed.

Tehran’s City Council has proposed a two-week lockdown of the city. For the past three weeks, Iran has banned weddings and funeral gatherings, and closed universities and schools, as well as libraries, mosques, cinemas, museums and beauty salons to try and curb the spread of the virus in Tehran.