121 new virus deaths in Turkey as infection rate slows

A man walks in a deserted place near the Blue Mosque, one of the city's landmarks, in Istanbul, Saturday, April 18, 2020, hours after the start of a two-day curfew declared by the government in an attempt to control the spread of coronavirus. (AP Photo/Mehmet Guzel)

A man walks in a deserted place near the Blue Mosque, one of the city's landmarks, in Istanbul, Saturday, April 18, 2020, hours after the start of a two-day curfew declared by the government in an attempt to control the spread of coronavirus. (AP Photo/Mehmet Guzel)

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s health minister said Saturday that 121 more people have died of COVID-19, with total deaths standing at 1,890.

Fahrettin Koca shared the figures on Twitter, saying 3,783 more people were infected with the coronavirus. The total number of confirmed infections is 82,329.

“Despite an increase in tests, there’s a decrease in number of new cases,” Koca tweeted and urged: “Precaution, treatment.” Nearly 600,000 people have been tested so far, according to the figures.

He also said 1,822 patients had recovered in the past 24 hours, bringing that number to 10,453.

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Also Saturday, the interior ministry extended for 15 days a ban on entering and leaving 31 provinces by land, air or sea. These provinces, including Istanbul and the capital, Ankara, are on a weekend lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

While people infected with the coronavirus often experience mild or moderate symptoms, possible complications like pneumonia can put their lives at risk.

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