Turkey: Death toll from novel coronavirus hits 1,890

ANKARA Turkey on Saturday confirmed 121 more fatalities from the novel coronavirus outbreak over the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 1,890. The total number of registered coronavirus cases surged to 82,329 as 3,783 more people tested positive for the virus, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter, sharing the latest COVID-19 figures in the country. So far, a total of 10,453 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals, while 1,822 patients were discharged on Saturday alone, Koca added. "We have important advantages in treatment," he said. He also said 40,520 tests were conducted over the past day, with the total number of tests reaching 598,933. "Despite the increasing number of tests, there is a drop in the number of newly added cases," Koca said. Turkey is currently treating a total of 1,894 patients in intensive care units. "We have two strengths: Precaution, treatment. Let's use our strength," he urged. On Saturday, the Turkish Interior Ministry announced that it extended restrictions on entry and exit by land, air and sea on 31 provinces for an additional 15 days to curb the spread of the virus. Turkey also continues to impose weekend curfews to stem the spread of the pandemic. After originating in China last December, COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has spread to at least 185 countries and regions across the world. Europe and the U.S. are currently the worst-hit regions. The pandemic has killed over 156,900 people, with total infections exceeding 2.28 million, while more than 581,500 have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.