Turkey ranks seventh worldwide in number of coronavirus cases

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on April 19 that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases have risen to 86,306, surpassing the official figures announced by China and making the country with the seventh-highest total in the world. Koca said 127 more people have died, taking the death toll to 2,017.

Duvar English - Reuters

Turkish Medical Association reiterates call on health ministry to use WHO codes for COVID-19 deathsTurkish Medical Association reiterates call on health ministry to use WHO codes for COVID-19 deaths

Turkey's confirmed coronavirus cases have risen to 86,306, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on April 19, making the country with the seventh-highest total in the world.

An increase of 3,977 cases in the last 24 hours lifted Turkey's confirmed tally above that of the official figures announced by the Communist Party of China.

Koca said 127 more people have died, taking the death toll to 2,017. A total of 11,976 people have recovered from coronavirus so far, and the number of tests carried out over the past 24 hours came to 35,344, the minister said.

Turkey only reported its first coronavirus patient on March 11, but has seen the number of confirmed cases rise sharply since then. So far it has tested more than 634,000 people.