COVID-related fatalities in Turkey down to single digits for first time in over 2 years

COVID-19-related fatalities in Turkey on Friday fell into single digits, the first time the figure has been that low in over two years, the country’s health minister said.

The last time coronavirus fatalities were this low was on March 24, 2020, the very earliest days of the pandemic.

While nine people lost their lives to coronavirus on Friday, 1,924 new coronavirus cases were recorded, continuing a steady downward trend, Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, 8,302 recoveries were also recorded and 127,095 tests were done, according to the Health Ministry.

To counter the spread of the virus, Turkey has administered nearly 147.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses since it launched an immunization drive in January 2021.

Over 57.81 million people have received a first jab, while more than 53.04 million are fully vaccinated.

On Tuesday, Turkey lifted its longtime indoor mask mandate, except in public transport and hospitals.

Meanwhile, the global case tally topped 512.81 million, according to the US’ Johns Hopkins University.

Since December 2019, the pandemic has claimed more than 6.23 million lives in at least 192 countries and regions.