Staff of Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education arrange boxes of masks donated by China in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)

Iran's central Yazd province will set up a hospital in the city of Yazd in the next few days exclusive for the treatment of novel coronavirus patients, Press TV reported on Sunday.

Following a decision by the Islamic Council of Yazd city, the construction work for the hospital started on Sunday morning, Mahmoud Dehqan, a municipal official in Yazd, was quoted as saying.

Dehqan expressed his hope that the construction project, carried out by Yazd municipality, will be completed within the next three days.

The hospital covers an area of 1,000 square meters and has an emergency ward as well as a warehouse for keeping biohazard management equipment, he said.

Also, Habibollah Sayyari, Iran's deputy army chief for coordination affairs, announced Sunday that the army has designated three of its well-equipped hospitals for the treatment of the coronavirus patients, according to Tehran Times daily.

Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education announced on Sunday that the outbreak of the novel coronavirus has affected 987 people in the country, with 54 dead.