Iran said on Saturday that it cannot afford to shut down its sanctions-hit economy, even as the country’s novel coronavirus outbreak worsens with record-high death tolls and rising infections. Iran must continue “economic, social and cultural activities while observing health protocols”, President Hassan Rouhani said during a televised virus taskforce meeting. Health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari reported Saturday that 188 people had died from the respiratory disease in the past 24 hours, raising the overall toll to 12,635.