Turkey reports over 1,500 new COVID-19 cases

By Ali Murat Alhas and Sena Guler

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey on Thursday reported 1,512 new cases of the novel coronavirus, and more than 1,200 recoveries.

The country's overall infection count reached 286,455, according to Health Ministry data.

"The average age of active cases is 42. Intensive care unit patients are age 65 on average," Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter.

The ministry data showed that 1,219 more patients recovered over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 255,407.

The virus-linked death toll, meanwhile, rose to 6,895 as 58 more people succumbed to the disease.

As many as 107,702 more COVID-19 tests were conducted over the past day, pushing the total to over 8.21 million.

The number of patients in critical condition now stands at 1,209, the data showed.

The novel virus, which surfaced in the Chinese city of Wuhan last December, has infected nearly 28 million people, and claimed more than 905,000 lives in 188 countries and regions, according to the US' Johns Hopkins University.

While China has largely contained the outbreak, there are concerns of a resurgence in Europe, where cases are rising.