Turkey logs record daily tally of over 110,000 Covid-19 cases

Turkey on Feb. 2 reported 110,682 new coronavirus cases, the highest single-day figure in the country since the beginning of the pandemic.

Thursday February 03 2022 09:50 am

People wearing protective masks walk along a street in Diyarbakır in this file photo.

Duvar English

Turkey on Feb. 2 recorded 110,682 new COVID-19 infections, its highest daily figure of the pandemic, the Health Ministry data showed.

Data also showed 217 people died due to COVID-19 on the same day.

In late December, daily cases stood at about 20,000 but have since surged due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus. The total death toll stands at more than 87,000, according to the official tally.

Separately, Turkey's coronavirus science council said the anti-viral pill molnupiravir will be administered to early-stage COVID-19 patients over age 65 or with chronic illnesses as of next week.

In a statement, the council said the Omicron variant now constituted almost all cases of COVID-19 disease, though intensive care bed occupancy rate stood at 68.7% across the country.

"We maintain our forecast that the current course of the spread will not strain hospital capacity," the statement said.

Countries rushed to buy Merck's molnupiravir after very promising initial results, but subsequent company data in late November indicated the drug was markedly less effective than previously thought.