UPDATE - Turkey: COVID-19 death toll hits 92

UPDATES WITH FURTHER REMARKS BY TURKISH HEALTH MINISTER

By Ali Murat Alhas

ANKARA (AA) - Seventeen more people died from novel coronavirus in Turkey in the past 24 hours, the Turkish health minister said Friday, bringing the death toll to 92.

Speaking at a press conference, Fahrettin Koca said 2,069 new patients have been diagnosed with COVID-19 as the total number of confirmed cases rose to 5,698.

He said 42 patients have been discharged from hospitals after recovering from the deadly virus as 344 others were treated at intense care units.

Koca said 7,533 tests have been done in the past 24 hours and the number of overall tests carried so far stood at over 47,000.

He further noted that more than 3.6 million N95 protective masks were distributed to state institutions as part of coronavirus measures.

According to Koca, about 63% of the intensive care units in the country are currently occupied.

After first appearing in Wuhan, China, in December, the virus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread to at least 175 countries and regions, according to data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

The data shows more than 566,200 cases have been reported worldwide, with the death toll over 25,400 and around 127,700 recoveries.

Italy, China, Iran, and Spain continue to be the most affected countries.

Despite the rising number of cases, a vast majority of those infected with the virus suffer mild symptoms and recover.