Coronavirus: Turkey's Death Toll Rises to 3 as Ex-General Confirmed to Have Died of Covid-19

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Turkey's death toll from the novel coronavirus has increased to three as a retired general has been confirmed to have died of Covid-19.

While ex-General Aytaç Yalman (80) died on Monday (March 16) at a hospital in İstanbul and his cause of death was recorded as interstitial pneumonia. The Health Ministry reported the first coronavirus-related death a day later.

Sultan Abdülhamid Training and Research Hospital stated today (March 19) that Yalman's wife tested positive for coronavirus and therefore the ex-general might have died of Covid-19. The novel coronavirus is known to cause pneumonia.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca confirmed later in the day that Yalman's wife and relatives were tested positive and he died from coronavirus. Other cases of pneumonia might have been caused by coronavirus as well, he told the parliament.

The minister yesterday announced that two people died from and 191 people tested positive for novel coronavirus.

The country confirmed its first case on March 11. It has taken measures against the outbreak since then, including closing cafes and bars, cancelling mass events, and suspending flights with 20 countries.

The outbreak emerged in China's Wuhan city in December and has so far spread to more than 140 countries, infecting more than 200 thousand people. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic.

(AS/VK)