Turkish health minister urges public to reduce contacts

ANKARA

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has urged the public to reduce contacts as the number of COVID-19 patients in critical condition is on the rise.

“Our number of patients in critical condition has increased by nearly 5 percent in one day. This situation points out that we need to increase our attention in fighting the epidemic,” Koca wrote on Twitter on Oct. 31.

“We need to reduce contact to one third. Support the fight [against the outbreak],” he added.

The number of patients in critical condition currently stood at 2,075 as of Oct. 31, with 5 percent last week suffering from pneumonia, according to data from the Health Ministry.