Turkey gives over half a million COVID-19 vaccine shots in 24 hours

By Busra Nur Cakmak and Ahmet Gencturk

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey has administered over half a million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the last 24 hours, according to figures released on Saturday.

The country continues its vaccination campaign, which began this January, to curb the spread of the virus, as all residents 18 and over are eligible for vaccine shots.

According to Health Ministry data, to date more than 38.86 million people in Turkey have gotten their first vaccine dose, while over 20.37 million have gotten their second. Turkey has a population of 83.6 million people.

Meanwhile, over 572,000 vaccine doses have been administered in the last 24 hours, the figures showed.

To date, over 62% of the adult population has received at least one dose.

The ministry also confirmed 7,666 new infections and 38 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, while as many as 5,490 more patients recovered.

Amid a nationwide drop in cases and expedited vaccination efforts, Turkey entered a new normalization phase on July 1, lifting almost all virus-related restrictions.

However, seeking to limit the spread of the Delta variant of the virus, the country suspended flights from India – where the strain was first found.

Meanwhile, arrivals from the UK, Iran, Egypt, and Singapore are required to have negative COVID-19 tests from within 72 hours before their flight.

​​​​​​​Since December 2019, the pandemic has claimed over 4 million lives in 192 countries and regions, with nearly 190 million cases reported, according to the US’ Johns Hopkins University.