Istanbul mayor İmamoğlu tests positive for COVID-19

ISTANBUL- Anadolu Agency

The mayor of Turkey's metropolis Istanbul has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, an official announced on Oct. 24. 

"The health condition of our mayor, whose treatment process started at the hospital, is good," Murat Ongun, spokesman of Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, said on Twitter.

İmamoğlu also confirmed the diagnosis later in a Twitter post.

“Today, I tested positive for COVID-19. I am feeling well and will be recovering in the hospital. Many thanks for your good wishes and support,” he wrote.

In an accompanying video from the hospital room, the mayor said he had been regularly getting himself tested for the virus, with the last one on Wednesday returning negative.

However, he felt feverish on Friday night and came to the hospital, where he was administered a COVID-19 test and kept overnight.

The test result came back positive on Saturday, said İmamoglu.

“I'm actually fine right now, my fever is not bad,” he said, urging the people of Istanbul to strictly follow coronavirus safety measures.

On Friday, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced that Turkey's largest city housed 40% of coronavirus cases in the country.