Turkey: Number of virus patients crosses 500,000 mark

By Sena Guler

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's coronavirus patients reached 500,865 on Monday as 6,514 new symptomatic cases were recorded over the past 24 hours.

The country reported a total of 31,219 COVID-19 infections, including the symptomatic ones, according to the Health Ministry.

As many as 4,485 people also recovered from the disease, pushing the tally to 404,727.

The count of fatalities, meanwhile, rose by 188, bringing the virus-linked death toll to 13,746.

More than 176,650 coronavirus tests were conducted in the said period, taking the total to over 18.59 million.

The number of patients in critical condition now stands at 5,190.

"We need stricter protection and stricter measures. We have to continue fighting together," Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter, urging the nation to comply with the measures.

His statement came as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced new restrictions, including weeknight and weekend curfews, to curb the spread of the novel virus.