Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing – May 15, 2020

By Handan Kazanci

ANKARA (AA) - Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic and other news in Turkey and around the world.

- Nearly 72% of coronavirus patients recover

The COVID-19 recovery rate in Turkey has reached 71.8%, the country's health minister announced Thursday.

"The tally of coronavirus tests tops 1.5 million. Intensive care and intubated patient numbers continue to drop," Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter, adding the total number of recoveries from the disease had reached 104,030.

The death toll from the pandemic rose to 4,007 as the country saw 55 more fatalities over the past day, Koca added.

Turkey has sent medical aid to 80 countries to help fight the novel coronavirus, the country’s vice president said Thursday.

“We have had the opportunity to help 80 countries that have asked us for help so far,” Fuat Oktay said in an interview with online channel Yozgat Camlik TV.

The main demand from these countries was face masks, gloves and respirators, Oktay said.

Meanwhile, Turkey's president and the head of NATO discussed the novel coronavirus in a phone call Thursday and steps to take in the post-pandemic period, according to a statement by the Presidential Directorate of Communications.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Jens Stoltenberg also discussed the latest developments in Syria and Libya.

In a separate press release, Stoltenberg praised Turkey for helping NATO allies and partners with medical equipment over the past months to help combat the coronavirus.

- Coronavirus around the globe

On Thursday, Spain registered a slight rise in coronavirus cases and deaths in the country.

According to health authorities, there were 217 new deaths from the coronavirus and 506 new cases in the country.

In the past three days, Spain had seen less than 450 new infections and under 200 deaths.

In total, the country has nearly 230,000 cases and 27,321 deaths. More than 124,225 people have been hospitalized while 143,300 are counted as recovered.

Italy reported 262 more fatalities from the novel coronavirus, bringing the country’s death toll to 31,368 a day after the government approved a much-awaited economic package needed to face the heavy fallout caused by the pandemic.

Iran confirmed 71 more fatalities from the coronavirus over the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide death toll to 6,854.

A further 1,808 people tested positive for COVID-19, raising the overall count to 114,533, Iran's state broadcaster reported, citing a Health Ministry statement.

It said 90,539 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals so far while 2,758 patients remain in critical condition.

In the UK, London’s transport services could face massive cuts if the government fails to come forward with a bailout, the city’s mayor said, as health authorities announced a further 428 people had died from the coronavirus across the country in the last 24 hours.

The Department of Health reported: “As of 9 a.m. 14 May, there have been 2,219,281 tests, with 126,064 tests on 13 May. 1,593,902 people have been tested of which 233,151 tested positive.

Meanwhile, a vaccine against COVID-19 can be ready for final tests before the year’s end, Germany’s regulatory institute for vaccines said Thursday.

Professor Klaus Cichutek, president of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, told daily Mannheimer Morgen that he is hopeful that ongoing vaccine research projects in Germany will achieve progress in the forthcoming months.

- In other news

Turkey may be experiencing the warmest May it has seen in recent years, causing rising temperatures across most of the country, according to state weather officials.

Temperatures this weekend – amid a four-day partial coronavirus curfew for much of the country – will be above seasonal norms in most of Turkey due to a heatwave from North Africa, state meteorologists said Thursday.

From today until next weekend, Turkey is not expected to see precipitation, and skies will be generally clear and less cloudy.

Temperatures are expected to be 5-9 C above seasonal norms along the Black Sea coastal and eastern regions and 9-13 C above seasonal norms in western regions.