Turkey's coronavirus death toll reaches 92, Erdoğan to decide on lockdown

Including 17 people who lost their lives due to Covid-19 within the last 24 hours, 92 people in total have died and the number of positive cases has reached 5,698, Turkey's Health Minister announced today.
Friday, 27 March 2020 21:25

Turkish Health Minister, Fahrettin Koca, said, in a statement after the meeting with the Science Board, that the death toll has reached 92 in Turkey, with 17 deaths in the last 24 hours.

"In the last 24 hours, 7 thousand 533 tests were performed. In total, 47 thousand 823 tests were performed. We detected 2 thousand 69 positive cases. Our total number of cases has reached 5,698," the Minister announced.

Saying that the Science Board held "perhaps the most important meeting" today, Koca said that the decisions taken were presented to Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan and that further decisions will be announced by Erdoğan.

As the Minister stated that the Board and Ministry advised the government to "impose restrictions", he added that Erdoğan has the last say. "I can't say there is no need for a curfew," Koca said.

The government only advised citizens to stay home, apply hygiene practices and be careful about socially distancing so far.

According to the statement of the Minister, 62 percent of the intensive care units in the hospitals across Turkey are currently occupied.

The healthcare workers and medical associations have been repeating their warnings about the insufficient measures taken against the spread of the virus and the preparations in the health system. Healthcare workers and associations warned about the lack of protective equipment in the hospitals. 

As the hygiene problems at hospitals continue to threaten the lives of healthcare workers, the insufficient capacity of the hospitals and lack of central planning to fight the epidemic in the country is among the issues the experts are concerned with.