Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing - April 24, 2020

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic and other news in Turkey and around the world.

Let’s begin with the daily death toll from Turkey. The country’s health minister confirmed 115 more deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 2,491.

The total number of registered coronavirus cases surged to 101,790 as 3,116 more people tested positive for the virus.

In addition, 2,014 patients were discharged Thursday and the total number of recoveries rose to 18,491.

Beginning Thursday, April 23, which was a public holiday commemorating the foundation of Turkey’s parliament, Turkey imposed a four-day curfew in 31 provinces to contain the spread of the virus.

Also, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday celebrated the 100th anniversary of the nation’s parliament as well as National Sovereignty and Children's Day, saying: “April 23 is the most important symbol of democracy and the nation’s sovereignty.”

People at 9 p.m. local time took up their places at the windows and balconies of their homes to sing the national anthem, the Istiklal Marsi (March of Freedom), while waving the Turkish flag.

The head of the State Duma, or Russian lower chamber of parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin, congratulated his Turkish counterpart Mustafa Sentop for the centenary of the Turkish parliament.

Top leaders from the Western Balkan countries of Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia also celebrated the anniversary of Turkey’s parliament.

- Coronavirus continues to hurt the world

The global death toll from the novel coronavirus crossed the 190,000 mark, while the number of cases exceeded 2.7 million, according to a running tally by US-based Johns Hopkins University. Additionally, more than 738,000 people worldwide have recovered from COVID-19.

The U.S. is still the most affected country in the world, where deaths are nearing 50,000 and confirmed cases exceed 868,000.

Italy, one of the worst-hit countries in Europe by the coronavirus, reported 464 new deaths, bringing its tally to 25,549.

Spain’s Health Ministry announced 440 more deaths from the virus, pushing the total number of fatalities to 22,157. The number of official daily deaths is slightly up from the previous two days but far below the peak of 950 in early April.

Meanwhile, France recorded its 13th day of declining COVID-19 numbers. There were 516 fatalities during the past 24 hours. Since the start of the outbreak, the total number of deaths in hospitals stands at 13,547 while 8,309 people succumbed to the disease in nursing homes.

The UK's coronavirus death toll hit 18,700 with 616 new fatalities.

Russia confirmed 4,772 additional cases of the novel coronavirus Thursday, down slightly from figures in the last few days, while overall, 62,773 people in the country have contracted the virus.

State media reported an additional 90 fatalities in Iran as the death toll rose to 5,481.

- Other latest developments

US President Donald Trump proposed unusual methods for treating the novel coronavirus at a White House briefing Thursday, including ultraviolet light and injecting disinfectants.

The US could be in a "much better place" by early summer if mitigation efforts continue to fight the novel coronavirus, said Vice President Mike Pence.

More than 4.4 million more Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week as the US continues to grapple with the economic repercussions from the novel coronavirus, according to data released Thursday by the Labor Department.

Russia praised Turkey's efforts in Idlib, northwestern Syria that aim to eliminate terrorists. Speaking at a news conference in the capital, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow expects the Turkish military to separate opposition groups from what it called “terrorists” in the region.

Meanwhile, in a month, the European Commission is expected to present a long-term economic recovery plan from the coronavirus pandemic, commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters Thursday after a videoconference of EU heads of state and government.

One civilian was killed on the first night of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in an attack carried out by warlord Khalifa Haftar’s forces on a civilian settlement in the Libyan capital Tripoli, medical officials said early Friday.

UN health officials are cautiously optimistic that in Turkey, the number of COVID-19 cases is stabilizing or coming down, Catherine Smallwood, the WHO's senior health emergency officer for Europe, told a video news conference.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on Thursday announced a €21 billion ($22.7 billion) package to step up its support amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Amid the continuing coronavirus pandemic, the European Football Association (UEFA) has urged national associations and leagues to complete domestic tournaments and decide which teams will participate in its club competitions on "sporting merit."