UPDATE - Turkey: Total coronavirus death toll tops 2,000

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By Jeyhun Aliyev and Burak Dag

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey on Sunday confirmed 127 more fatalities from the novel coronavirus outbreak over the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 2,017.

The total number of registered coronavirus cases in the country surged to 86,306 as 3,977 more people tested positive for the virus over the past day, the country's Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter.

"The care with which we place our measures [to prevent the spread of the coronavirus] is bearing fruit," he said.

So far, a total of 11,976 patients have been discharged from hospitals after recovering from the virus, with 1,523 discharged on Sunday alone, Koca added.

Turkey is currently treating a total of 1,922 patients in its intensive care units.

"Trust in our healthcare army and the power of our healthcare system. Do not let your precautions down," said Koca.

He also said 35,344 tests were conducted over the past day, with the total reaching 634,277.

"As we increase our daily testing potential, your responsible behavior will also reduce the number of new cases," Koca added.

After originating in China last December, COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, has spread to at least 185 countries and regions across the world. Europe and the U.S. are currently the worst-hit regions.

The pandemic has killed over 163,100 people, with total infections exceeding 2.36 million, while more than 609,500 have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.