Turkey’s coronavirus death toll rises by 27 to 4,249, with new 961 cases

Turkey’s death toll from the coronavirus rose by 27 to total 4,249 and new confirmed cases rose by 961 to bring the country’s total to 153,548, Health Ministry data showed on May 21.

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Turkey’s death toll from the coronavirus rose by 27 to total 4,249 and new confirmed cases rose by 961 to bring the country’s total to 153,548, Health Ministry data showed on May 21.

"Despite the increasing number of tests, the number of newly diagnosed cases stays at a predictable level. The number of patients requiring [ventilatory and intensive care] support is decreasing," Health Minister Fahrettin Koca wrote on his Twitter account.

Koca said on May 20 that Turkey does not risk a second wave of infections from the virus at the moment.

“If we continue to abide by the rules of social distancing, wearing a mask and a limited social life, then we don’t see a risk of second wave,” Koca said.

“Like the rest of the world, we are also monitoring actively such a risk around September or October. But we are in a position to take necessary measures in the case of a second wave,” he said, adding that the virus reproduction rate, indicated by the R0 number, currently stands at 0.72.

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