Iran's Health Ministry said nearly the whole country is on a coronavirus red alert as cases and deaths rose to record levels, with a member of the state task force saying field hospitals might be needed if people flout the rules.
Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state television that 26 of Iran's 31 provinces were "red" zones, the highest alert level, while four were at the next "orange" level.
Authorities registered a record high 3,902 new cases in a day, with the total number of identified cases in the worst-hit country in the Middle East rising to 475,674, Ms Lari said.
She said 235 patients had died in the past 24 hours, equalling a daily death toll high recorded on July 28, bringing the official number to 27,192. Unofficially, authorities say infections and deaths may be many times higher due to issues with testing and reporting.
Officials complained people have defied regulations to wear face masks and some families used lockdowns to go on trips, causing the virus to spread and filling up hospitals.
"If people keep going on weekend trips, our patients might have to go to field hospitals," Masoud Mardani, a member of the state coronavirus task force, told Khabaronline news website.
On Saturday, schools, libraries, mosques and other public institutions in the capital, Tehran, closed for a week as part of measures to stem the rapid rise in Covid-19 cases.
Similar closures have been imposed in the Zanjan province, north-west of Tehan, and cities in several other provinces, shutting museums, theatres, gyms, cafes and hair salons, state media said.
Iran has also banned flights to Iraq to stop citizens from travelling to the neighbouring country for the annual pilgrimage of Arbaeen, which draws large crowds. Land borders to Iraq were also closed.
After stopping flights to Turkey, Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation said on Monday, one flight a day would be allowed in each direction.
