UPDATE 2 - Over 32.2 M coronavirus vaccine shots given in Turkey

UPDATES WITH VACCINE PRIORITY GROUPS EXPANDED

By Beyza Binnur Donmez and Seda Sevencan

ANKARA/ISTANBUL (AA) – Turkey has administered over 32.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines since it launched a mass vaccination campaign in mid-January, according to official figures released on Thursday.

More than 18.7 million people have received their first doses, while 13.48 million have been fully vaccinated, said the Health Ministry count.

The ministry also confirmed 6,408 new coronavirus cases, including 563 symptomatic patients, across the country in the last 24 hours. The number of new cases on Wednesday was 6,454.

Turkey's overall case tally is now over 5.3 million, while the nationwide death toll has reached 48,524 with 96 new fatalities.

As many as 6,895 more patients won the battle against the virus, raising the total number of recoveries past 5.1 million.

Over 56.3 million coronavirus tests have been done to date.

The latest figures put the number of COVID-19 patients in critical condition at 1,009.

- Food sector, lawyers added to vaccine priority groups

Meanwhile, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced that the vaccine priority groups were expanded.

Employees of the food production and distribution sector, cafes and restaurants, as well as barbers and hairdressers can make a vaccine appointment as of Friday, Koca said on Twitter.

All lawyers, regardless of age, have also been included in the vaccine priority program, he also said.

To fight the spread of the virus, Turkey currently has a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Monday to Saturday and a full lockdown on Sundays.

Since December 2019, the pandemic has claimed over 3.75 million lives in 192 countries and regions, with more than 174.5 million cases reported worldwide, according to the US-based Johns Hopkins University.