Turkey’s coronavirus death toll rises by 64 to 3,584, with 2,253 cases

Duvar English

Turkey’s death toll from the coronavirus rose by 64 to total 3,584 and new confirmed cases rose by 2,253 to bring the country’s total to 131,744, Health Ministry data showed on May 6.

Both the number of deaths and new cases were slightly higher than the day before, but still well below peaks recorded last month.

A total of 78,202 people have so far recovered from the virus. The number of tests conducted in Turkey in the past 24 hours stood at 30,303, increasing the total number of tests during the outbreak to more than 1.2 million. 

Turkey starting new phase in battle against virus, says minister

Meanwhile, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca held a news conference on May 6, saying that Turkey has entered "a new phase" in the battle against the virus.

He said that in this new phase, the country aims to eliminate the disease, reopen businesses and set new social behavior guidelines to prevent any resurgence of the outbreak.

"The coronavirus outbreak is currently under control in Turkey... We aim to eliminate coronavirus in the second phase. We are shifting towards a new way of life," Koca said.

He said the Health Ministry's Coronavirus Science Committee would publish guidelines for businesses to follow as they resume operations, setting out precautions to avoid an upswing in new cases.

Citizens should also wear masks and respect social distancing in public, as part of a new "controlled social life" that would for example restrict numbers of people allowed into shopping malls and introduce changes at places such as hair dressers.

Around 150,000 people will be scanned across the country next week as part of efforts to assess the latest status of the outbreak, he added.