The number of people recovered from the COVID-19 virus in Turkey has jumped to 786 from 464 in the last 24 hours, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced Saturday.

In a Tweet shared on his official account, he said that Turkey's death toll rose by 76 in the last 24 hours to a total of 501.

More than 12% of the total 161,380 tests in Turkey have been conducted in the last 24 hours, the minister added urging people not to give the virus a chance.

"The virus takes its strength from contact. Let us not give it this chance."

Total confirmed cases in Turkey rose by 3,013 to a total of 23,934, while 1,311 remain in the intensive care unit.

Turkey has increased its measures to curb the spread of the virus including a 24-hour curfew for people under the age of 20. Previously a similar curfew for people above the age of 65 had been put into effect.

Thirty-one of the country's 81 provinces are in lockdown as of Friday evening, barring people from leaving the city. Especially the biggest provinces such as Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir are included in this quarantine.

Turkey-wide measures are added almost daily, while municipalities take on their own precautions as well. Istanbul and Ankara do not allow citizens to use public transportation without wearing a mask.