Turkey finalizes preparations against coronavirus: Health minister

ANKARA

Turkey has completed its precautions against the new flu-like coronavirus even though the country does not carry the risk of a possible outbreak, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has said.

Speaking in an interview with state-run Anadolu Agency, the minister said that no patients carrying the coronavirus have been detected and the country does not carry the risk.

“I would like to underline that we have no patients or even risky patients. Right now, there is no risk for Turkey,” he said.

Koca also conveyed that regardless of having no risk, Turkey completed its precautions against the worst-case scenario.

He added that if the country encounters a risky patient from China, preparations to refer the patient to quarantine in a determined hospital on a special ambulance have been completed.

China virus death toll rises to nine as pandemic fears mount

“The World Health Organization does not suggest thermal cameras for Turkey, yet we made all the preparations including the thermal camera,” Koca said.

As the recent outbreak of the new virus in China has been confirmed in four other countries, the death toll from contagious virus has risen to nine in its country of origin.

Health officials in China said nine fatalities were recorded in the central Wuhan city where the fatal virus originated last month, Chinese daily ECNS reported. They added that 440 people were confirmed infected inside the country.