Turkey's coronavirus death toll rises to 9 as cases surge to 670

Duvar English

Turkey's death toll from coronavirus rose from four to nine as the number of cases surged to 670, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said late on March 20.

The number of confirmed cases was 359 on March 19.

Koca said on Twitter that 3,656 tests had been conducted in the past 24 hours, 311 of which came back positive. He said the latest five victims were elderly patients with weak immune system.

"We have lost nine people up to now, all of whom were elderly people. We should protect our elderly population. We should not show leniency for even one moment in our struggle [against the virus]," Koca wrote.

Turkey reported its first death related to the coronavirus pandemic early on March 11.

Since then, the government has taken a series of precautions against the spread of the virus, including shutting down schools, universities, bars, nightclubs, cinemas, cafes, spas, amusement parks and swimming pools.

Erdoğan urges social distancing to combat virus outbreak

Late on March 20, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan once again urged citizens not to leave home unless necessary and to minimize social contact.

"You should increase social distancing as much as possible, and most importantly, you should not go out of your houses unless it is an absolute must," he said in an audio recording released on Twitter.

"The virus is infecting and causing the death of mostly the elderly population and those with chronic illnesses," he said, urging everyone to maintain a high level of hygiene in their daily lives.