Turkey's COVID-19 death toll nears 5,000, total cases climb to 187,685
Xinhua
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A tram driver wearing a face mask is seen during the COVID-19 pandemic in Istanbul, Turkey, June 16, 2020. (Photo: Xinhua)

ANKARA, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's confirmed COVID-19 cases Sunday increased by 1,192, and 23 more people died, taking the death toll to 4,950, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Sunday.

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases stood at 187,685 in the country, the minister tweeted.

Meanwhile, 1,412 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, making the total number of recovered cases 160,240, he stated.

Koca said 40,496 tests were conducted over the past day, and the overall number of tests reached 2,945,240.

Turkey is currently treating 803 patients in intensive care units, with 327 people intubated, Koca noted.

Turkey reported the first COVID-19 case in the country on March 11 and has stepped up the normalization process since June 1.

Turkey and China have supported each other in the fight against COVID-19. On April 10, Chinese doctors and medical experts held a video conference with Turkish counterparts to share China's experience in treating coronavirus patients, protecting medical workers, and controlling the spread of the virus.