Virus cases rise in some provinces including Istanbul, Bursa: Minister

ISTANBUL

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said the coronavirus outbreak lost momentum compared to the past month; but he warned that the rise of cases in some provinces, including Istanbul, Bursa, Kocaeli, Kahramanmaraş, and Denizli posed risk to the entire country.

Speaking in a news conference in eastern Erzurum province on Oct. 16, the minister said it essential to successfully fight the virus also in these locations.

Koca also said the tally of patients in critical condition was moving upwards after a long while, and called on the Turkish nation to stick to coronavirus measures across all regions in the country.  

Across the world, COVID-19 has claimed more than 1.1 million lives in 189 countries and regions since last December.