Turkey: Death toll from coronavirus rises to 725

By Burak Bir and Fahri Aksut

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey confirmed Tuesday that 76 more people died from the coronavirus in the country over the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 725.

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases surged to 34,109 as 3,892 more people tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca told a news conference.

So far, a total of 1,582 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals, while 1,474 patients are currently in intensive care, Koca said.

The recovery rate showed a significant rise, he added.

Also, 20,023 tests were conducted on Tuesday, bringing the total number of overall tests carried out so far to 222,868.

After originating in China last December, COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has spread to at least 184 countries and regions across the world, with its epicenter shifting to Europe.

The pandemic has killed more than 78,200 people, and infected 1.3 million, while nearly 293,000 people have recovered from the disease, according to figures collated by the U.S.’ Johns Hopkins University.