Turkey confirms 1,491 more virus cases

By Erdogan Cagatay Zontur and Fahri Aksut

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey confirmed on Thursday 1,491 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the tally to 263,998.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced on Twitter that the total number of recoveries reached 240,792.

Citing Health Ministry data, Koca said that 995 patients recovered from COVID-19 over the past day. Meanwhile, the death toll in the country reached 6,209, as 26 more people lost their lives.

Healthcare professionals conducted 106,111 more tests to diagnose the disease over the last 24 hours, pushing the tally to 6.72 million.

Of those infected, 7.3% suffer from pneumonia.

Koca said the number of patients in critical condition increased to 862.

Since it originated in China last December, the coronavirus has claimed over 827,100 lives in 188 countries and regions. The US, Brazil, India, and Russia are currently the worst-hit countries.

More than 24.23 million COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide, with recoveries nearing 15.84 million, according to figures compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins University.