Health minister warns against 'faulty optimism' in fight against coronavirus

Turkey's Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has cautioned against growing optimism that the coronavirus has been contained, saying that this situation should not lead citizens to abandon their personal precautions. Koca's statements came as Turkey reported 987 new cases and 17 additional deaths from the virus.

Thursday June 11 2020 09:07 pm

Duvar English

As the coronavirus measures start to ease and economy opens up in Turkey, there are growing signs of optimism among citizens. However, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has cautioned against this optimism, saying that it should not lead people to abandon their personal precautions against the virus.

"The virus is getting its power from faulty optimism. Do not abandon the precautions under the mistake that 'the virus' effect has weakened,'" Koca wrote on Twitter on June 11.

Koca had previously said that there is no scientific data showing that the virus has "weakened" compared to when it ripped across the globe earlier this year.

Koca also announced the daily coronavirus infection data, saying that Turkey's death toll from the virus rose by 17 as the country registered 987 new cases.

"We have reached 2.5 million in the number of tests. Some 85 percent of the total cases so far have recovered. The number of newly recovered cases is close to the number of newly diagnosed cases," Koca also said.

Test sayısında 2,5 Milyona ulaştık. Şimdiye kadarki vakaların %85’i iyileşti. Yeni iyileşen vaka sayısıyla yeni tanı konan vaka sayısı birbirine yakın. Virüs gücünü hatalı iyimserlikten alıyor. “Virüsün etkisi azaldı” yanılgısı ile tedbirleri terk etmeyin. https://t.co/RVlhe7786O pic.twitter.com/BCbGbRGpGP
— Dr. Fahrettin Koca (@drfahrettinkoca) June 11, 2020