Turkey's Covid-19 Tally Climbs to 56,956 Cases, 1,198 Deaths

In the last 24 hours, 4,789 people were tested positive for coronavirus and 97 died, according to the Health Ministry.

İstanbul

Turkey's Covid-19 Tally Climbs to 56,956 Cases, 1,198 Deaths

An empty Sultanahmet Square in İstanbul due to the weekend curfew. (Photo: AA)

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Turkey's death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has reached 1,198 as 97 more people have died since yesterday's update, the Health Ministry has announced on its website.

According to the announcement, 4,789 people tested positive in the last 24 hours, bringing the number of cases in the country to 56,956. A total of 376,100 tests have been carried out so far with 35,720 tests in a day.

There are 1,626 patients in intensive care with 1,021 intubated patients while 2,965 patients have recovered from the disease.

Streets are silent as people comply with the curfew

The weekend curfew, effective from Friday (April 10) at midnight for 48 hours in 31 provinces, has been largely followed as streets have remained silent. The Interior Ministry's late announcement of the curfew caused people to flocked to the streets on Friday night.

İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu shared drone footage showing empty streets of the metropolis.

Wait for us, #Istanbul!

We will get through these tough times together with solidarity and patience, and we will meet again in better days.#IstanbulFightsBack

Sunday 12 April 2020 pic.twitter.com/NeRmRCVPuZ
— Ekrem İmamoğlu (International) (@imamoglu_int) April 12, 2020

The government previously restricted the movement of those under age 20 and not employed, and above 65. While schools, malls, cafes and restaurants remain closed, almost all gatherings, including congregational prayers, have been suspended.

CLICK - Global Coronavirus Map

What is a coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which may cause illness in animals or humans. In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease Covid-19. The virus was named SARS-CoV-2 by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses.

What is Covid-19?

Covid-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.

What are the symptoms?

Covid-19 symptoms include cough, fever, shortness of breath, muscle aches, sore throat, unexplained loss of taste or smell.

How does Covid-19 spread?

People can catch Covid-19 from others who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with Covid-19 coughs or exhales. These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch Covid-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. Studies to date suggest that the virus is mainly transmitted through contact with respiratory droplets rather than through the air.

How did the outbreak begin?

Although health officials are still tracing the exact source of this new coronavirus, early hypotheses thought it may be linked to a seafood market in Wuhan. Some people who visited the market developed viral pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus. A study that came out on January 25, 2020, notes that the individual with the first reported case became ill on December 1, 2019, and had no link to the seafood market. Investigations are ongoing as to how this virus originated and spread.

Sources: World Health Organization, Johns Hopkins University

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BIA News Desk