Turkish Health Minister says pandemic pace slowing down days after admitting incomplete tally
Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has said that the pace of the COVID-19 pandemic has been slowing down in recent weeks in the country. The minister's comments come shortly after the revelation that the Health Ministry had only been reporting the number of symptomatic COVID-19 patients as the official case count.
Duvar English
Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said that the country has managed to slow down the pace of the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to the strict measures that were taken.
"We had a flare-up in the pandemic last month. The number of patients was on the rise nationwide, but as you know, the increase wasn't even across the country," Koca said.
The minister's comments come shortly after the revelation that the Health Ministry had only been reporting the number of symptomatic COVID-19 patients as the official case count.
While the ministry's practice prompted outrage nationwide, some even urged Minister Koca to resign.
"We have managed to slow down the pace of the pandemic in the recent weeks, thanks to the measures taken across the country, tight inspections and our fast interventions," Koca said.
The Health Ministry reported some 1,615 new "patients" on Oct. 8, noting a decline in the number of patients requiring intensive care.