* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)
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According to the official COVID-19 data announced by the Health Ministry on a daily basis, the number of COVID-19 deaths was 81 on March 18 while it was announced as 318 yesterday (April 18).
While the number of critically ill COVID-19 patients was 1,503 in Turkey on March 18, it increased to 3,275 on April 18.
As compiled by Dilara Küçükerdoğan from the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), the number of COVID-19 deaths quadrupled and the number of critically ill patients doubled in the period of March 18-April 18.
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Deaths started to increase in March
According to the Health Ministry data, 124 people lost their lives due to COVID-19 on February 1. The number of deaths was decreasing in February. On the last day of February, the number of deaths was 66.
As of March 1, Turkey announced "gradual normalization" steps on a provincial basis. The data of the Health Ministry also show that the number of COVID-19 deaths started to increase as of March 2021. While 69 people lost their lives on March 1, 81 people died on March 18.
Deaths increased to three-digit numbers
On March 21, the number of COVID-19 deaths increased to three-digit numbers. While 102 people died on March 21, 152 people lost their lives due to the virus on the last day of the month, on March 31.
The increase continued in April as well. While 176 people died on April 1, the daily number of deaths topped 200 on April 6 and was measured as 211. On April 18 (yesterday), 318 people lost their lives.
While this figure has been the highest figure so far, it is also seen that the number of deaths quadrupled in a month, considering that 81 people lost their lives due to the virus on March 18, 2021.
Numbers of critically ill patients
The number of critically ill patients also decreased in February. While 1,615 patients were critically ill on February 1, this number was 1,191 on the last day of February 2021, on February 28, 2021.
The number of critically ill COVID-19 patients also started to increase as of March. While 1,215 patients were reportedly in a critical condition on March 1, this number increased to 1,425 on March 15 and to 1,503 on March 18. The number of critically ill patients topped 2,000 on March 30 and was announced as 2,054 by the Ministry of Health.
In the first week of April 2021, the number of critically ill patients hit 2,604. At the end of the second week of this month, the number of critically ill COVID-19 patients topped 3,000 and reached 3,018.
The upward trend in the number of critically ill patients has been in place in the last three days. While 3,205 patients were critically ill on April 16, this number was 3,240 a day later, on April 17, 2021.
Considering that 1,503 patients were in a critical condition on March 18 and 3,275 were in a critical condition on April 18, this means that the number of critically ill patients has doubled in a month. (AS/SD)
