Tehran, March 30 (IANS) Iran's Judiciary on Sunday announced the extension of furloughs for 100,000 inmates amid the nationwide fight against COVID-19, state TV reported.

Furloughs were extended until April 19 for the prisoners who had already been granted a leave until April 3, Iran's Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said, reported Xinhua news agency.

Such extension does not include the released prisoners who carried out an illegal or criminal act during their furloughs, he added.

Iran's Judiciary has temporarily released around 100,000 prisoners in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in prisons.

Iran is the worst-hit country by the virus in the Middle East.

Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education on Sunday reported the total number of 38,309 cases of the novel coronavirus in the country, of whom 2,640 have died.

--IANS rt/